Fate: Altered Destinies
by MasterBaiter4.0
Summary: An alternate end of Fate Apocrypha, where Mordred wishes for the chance to pull Caliburn out to prove her worth. But the Greater Grail instead transports her to the Fifth Holy Grail War as a Ruler-Class servant, derailing the story and everyone's plans...
1. Chapter 1 - A Knight Out of Time

**Author's Notes**

 _Hey all,_

 _This is a short story which I thought up of when discussing the ending of Fate Apocrypha and how it could have ended differently._

 _I'm going to be writing this on the side of my main story, Kancolle Alt, and I'll be putting up a disclaimer here and now by saying I'm not a Nasuverse expert, I might be getting some things wrong about the characters or the events which occur in spite of consulting the Wiki, and I'd appreciate a review to point out the mistake so that I can improve the story._

 _Thanks, and let's get started._

* * *

By some miracle, she'd made it.

Mordred had engaged the Assassin of Red in battle as their battle plan had predicted, and it went better than expected. Semiramis was finally forced to retreat in the face of Mordred's Noble Phantasm, Clarent Blood Arthur, hitting her harder than expected and nearly killed her.

She now sat with Shishigou in the ruins of Semiramis' demolished lair, smoking a cigarette for the first time in her life. A voice projected into Mordred's mind had her turning to Kairi, tensing up for another attack. But Kairi raised his hand to have her wait, Mordred dropping her cigarette to summon her armor and sword anyway.

' _Mordred-san? Shishigou-san?'_

"What is it, Jeanne?"

Kairi looked around in a vain attempt to locate the voice's origin, and Mordred began to worry about the floating fortress' structural integrity as another ominous rumble permeated the crumbling Gardens of Babylon, paying half a mind to Jeanne's words.

' _We beat Amakusa Shirou before he could activate his utopian wish. The Greater Grail's now yours to make a wish with.'_

"Don't you have a wish of your own, Jeanne?" Mordred could almost feel Jeanne shaking her head even as a disembodied voice, giving her humbling answer.

' _I have no wish of my own. I was summoned to ensure the smooth proceedings of this Greater Holy Grail War, and I have fulfilled my duty. We can project your wish into the Greater Grail by proxy, so please be quick, lest the Hanging Gardens collapse beneath our feet.'_

For a second, Mordred's heart swelled at the thought of lifting the Sword of Appointment, Caliburn, from the ground. But she remembered how Kairi wanted to bring her adopted daughter back to life, turning to her master with a creasing expression.

"Kairi, your daughter…" But Kairi rubbed Mordred's hair by the crown, another puff of smoke escaping the tip of his cigarette he grinned stupidly.

"Come on, Mordred. You've done well in this war, you should get a chance to wish upon the Greater Grail! I've already experienced more in this war than any average mage ever would in their lives, summoning the greatest Saber and winning a Greater Grail War!

And after surviving this war and spending time with you, I think I can start moving on." Kairi lowered his head to look down at nothing in particular, Mordred's heart softening upon seeing Kairi's sunglasses reveal watering eyes.

He weakly uttered, "I now believe my daughter's in a better place somewhere. It'd be selfish of me to have her come back down and spend time with this old geezer, watch me die and be left alone till her second death.

Being with you, I think I've come to accept my daughter's death, bringing her back now feels tasteless upon reflection. I just hope that I can be with her in my next life, and I can't be so selfish as to have her suffer another inevitable death for my sake."

Taking in a shaky breath, Kairi pushed his glasses up to hide his melancholic gaze. He patted Mordred on the back, remarking in an enthusiastic tone would've convinced Mordred in any other scenario.

"Come on then, make your wish, Mordred."

It felt like a secretly-dejected father watching his children grow up and inevitably spread their wings, either by being married off and/or carving out a life for themselves. But Kairi still looked on the bright side, like any normal parent would upon seeing their children come into their own as adults.

The knot in Mordred's throat didn't go away even after Kairi's reassurance, but mentally pushed it aside to consider her wish.

She didn't want to cheat and have the Grail lift Father's sword for her, so…

"I want to get the chance to lift the Sword of Appointment, and carry father's burden in his place!"

She lifted her gaze towards the ceiling, the world around her shuddering as if she was being disconnected from the mortal plane. The air warped around her as she looked back at a stunned Kairi, his sunglasses reflecting the radiance which enveloped her figure.

A resonant voice boomed in her mind.

 _VERY WELL._

There was a flash, and everything faded to white.

* * *

The blinding veil faded to reveal Mordred, clad in full battle armor sans her helmet (which was folded back on the nape of her neck.) Mordred was on a rooftop in a low-lying civilian area, standing on the tiled roof of a traditional Japanese home amongst many more for miles.

A familiar, saintly voice was projected into Mordred's voice, the confused Knight of Treachery ignoring the brewing disturbance near her.

' _ **This is Fuyuki City. Specifically, this is the start of the Fifth Holy Grail War.'**_

"What?! I thought I was supposed to be at the field where Caliburn stood, having my turn to pull it from the ground?

And why are you still in my head, Jeanne?!"

But before she could continue, two heroic signatures flared up in the courtyard, one of which Mordred was painfully familiar with. She sneaked up to the edge of the building, observing the fight between a Saber and Lancer.

Specifically, Artoria Pendragon vs Cu Chulainn with some redhead in a school uniform spectating the fight. Mordred hit the deck upon spotting Father, crawling forward to peek over the edge in order to witness Father going up against the Irish Hound. Her status as Ruler was kicking in, allowing her to identify both servants with a glance.

Wait, what?

"Wait, Jeanne.

How the hell can I recognize the both of them, well, I mean, other than my father?"

' _ **There was no time to explain then. Basically, you're here as a Ruler in this timeline to justify your abnormal existence, making you unbound to any master.**_

 _ **I'm mentally guiding you, since the Greater Grail has determined your liberal interpretation of 'impartiality' to be both a liability and asset.'**_

"Hah? But Ruler-Class servants can't interfere unless someone's playing the system, right?"

' _ **The Grail's detected someone aiming to do just that to a Grail that's been corrupted in this timeline. Your wish of lifting Caliburn can be fulfilled due to the existence of Artoria-san.**_

 _ **She's the only servant you can attack freely due to your wish.**_

 _ **Sending you back in time allows you to duel with Artoria-san for the right to lift the Sword of Appointment. The Grail's deduced your lack of other wishes after that, meeting the criteria for a Ruler-Class' lack of desire for the Grail.'**_

"I can't accept this! I demand to speak to the Grail!"

The booming voice spoke up as the air filled with metallic screeches, Arthur battling with Cu Chulainn beneath her. They were blissfully unaware of the time-travelling knight's internal struggle with the dreaded item, the Grail's pitiless voice crushing any hope of averting the course it had set Mordred on and caused her heart to sink with every word.

 _THE SWORD OF APPOINTMENT, CALIBURN, CANNOT SIMPLY BE PASSED DOWN TO YOU SINCE ARTORIA PENDRAGON POSSESSES THE RIGHT TO WIELD IT._

 _NEITHER CAN YOU BE SENT BACK TO ARTHURIAN TIMES TO LIFT CALIBURN, CAUSING A TIME LOOP WHERE ARTORIA WAS NEVER KING SINCE YOU LIFTED CALIBURN IN HER STEAD. SHOULD THAT HAPPEN, YOU WOULD NEVER BE SPAWNED FROM HER SEED TO BETRAY AND KILL HER, BECOME A HEROIC SPIRIT AND TRAVEL BACK IN TIME AFTER WINNING THE GREATER GRAIL WAR._

 _RINSE AND REPEAT AD INFINITUM._

Bloody hell, a time loop was the alternative…

Was it her fault that she used the wrong choice of words?

Or was this inevitable all along?

Mordred watched Cu Chulainn's Gae Bolg flare up and glow ominously, a crimson flame emitting from its bladed tip. He took aim at Artoria as Mordred resisted the urge to intervene. Even though she had conflicted feelings towards Father, he was still a role model and an ideal figure to her.

Father was what she had always strove to emulate, even if they fell out due to Father's implicit rejection, the Round Table falling apart after Father prioritized duty over bonds.

Her heart stopped at the sight of Gae Bolg piercing Father's chest through her armor, causing Artoria to collapse as the legendary spear was fabled to kill anyone with a lethal homing strike.

Meanwhile, the Greater Grail sounded utterly inhumane whilst telepathically speaking with Mordred, unfeeling and uncaring for Mordred's predicament as it quoted the wish it so liberally interpreted to use her for its own ends.

"' _to carry father's burden in his place.'_

 _WE HAVE INTERPRETED THIS AS TAKING OVER HIM AS A SERVANT AND FULFILLING HIS ROLE AND DESTINY IN HIS STEAD. THE FATE OF A KING IS A LONELY AND TUMULTUOUS ONE, AND DEATH IS A RELEASE WHICH YOU SHALL GRANT HIM IN THIS TIMELINE._

 _KILL ARTORIA PENDRAGON, AND CALIBURN SHALL SPAWN WHERE HE FELL FOR YOU TO LIFT AND INHERIT, SHOULD YOU PROVE YOURSELF WORTHY._

"Tha-That's not what I wanted at all!"

 _IRRELEVANT._

Mordred's mind was spinning as she felt her father's fighting aura flare up again, filling her heart with relief. This, while her dreadful past was starting to repeat itself as she seethed at the higher power pushing her to conflict with her Father.

"What?! You mean I can't lift Caliburn while Father wields Excalibur, and the right to rule by extension?

 _Why can't I lift it without killing him?"_

And the Grail's response was positively chilling in its choice of words.

 _THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE._


	2. Chapter 2 - The Shattered Crown

Damn it.

Damn it all.

This was not how things were supposed to go.

She watched Lancer bid a hasty retreat in the face of his identity being exposed, Father having survived his killing blow and deduced his identity. It did wonders to form a silver lining for Mordred just as her anxiety levels rose again with another servant fast approaching them.

DAMN. IT. ALL.

Mordred concealed her heroic signature, a twin-tailed teenage girl appearing with her watchful Archer, Emiya Shirou. After some talk, the nail-biting showdown which Mordred expected never occurred as she caught the name 'Rin' being used, the redhead eventually introduced as Emiya Shirou -

Wait, what?

It was a mystery which begged to be solved, but there was no more room for subtlety as Archer drew his bow. He pointed it in her general direction and called out mirthlessly,

"Whoever you are, I know you're up there. Come down here with your hands up, and I might consider not putting one through your head, which I'll do from across the city if you run."

Mordred didn't like repeating herself, but damn it.

 _'Jeanne, what do I do now? Run? Fight? Talk?'_

 _ **'W-Well, the good man did promise not to shoot you if you showed yourself.'**_

 _'And you trust the fucker, you goddamned chump?'_

 _ **'Don't use the Lord's name in vain!'**_

 _'Whatever,_ mom!'

Rrgh.

Un-armoring herself, dematerializing Clarent and hopping over the roof's edge while showing her hands as commanded, a visibly shocked Father had Mordred cringing a little.

Archer tersely requested,

"Another servant? Master, let me rid us of another enemy."

 _'Jeanne…'_

 _ **'Patience is a virtue…'**_

"Guess you found me, hm? Not going to ask why a Ruler-Class servant is in the Fifth Holy Grail War?" That got their attention, confounding everyone present.

Rin piped up,

"A Ruler-Class? Why were you summoned in a Holy Grail War?!

I've read of Greater Grail Wars requiring them, but…" Mordred leveled her gaze at a disbelieving Rin, her given answer void of specifics on the Greater Grail War and her time-travelling nature.

"I came from another time after fighting in a war, and the role as Ruler was slapped on me and I was thrown here against my wish."

Father, her expression struggling to emote surprise, dread and fear all at once, growled,

"Why… Why are you a Ruler? Shouldn't you be a Saber like me, _Mordred?"_ glowering at Father, Mordred was in the midst of racking her brain for an answer when Jeanne provided her with one.

 _ **'Say that there exists threats in the war which are abnormal in nature and requires a different kind of servant, and you've been sent to investigate…'**_

"There exists an abnormal threat in the war, and I've been sent to investigate…"

 _ **' … and the powers that be found you to be the best servant for the job.'**_

" … and the powers that be thought I was the best servant for the job."

Bullet dodged.

"Saber, you said she was Mordred?"

"Yes, I'd never fail to recognize her signature, even in another life."

"Aww, don't be like that, _Father."_

"Wait, Mordred calling you father… does that mean you're King Arthur, Saber?"

" … Yes, Shirou." Arthur clearly didn't want her identity to be revealed while in front of her enemies without even unleashing her Noble Phantasm. Shirou wasn't helping Father's cause by blurting everything out, even if Rin seemed sharp enough to piece things together faster than Shirou could.

A visibly confused but composed Archer lowered his bow a touch, while Rin didn't seem entirely convinced as she aggressively pointed at Mordred.

"I want proof, and not a servant possibly lying to our faces. It's not out of the question considering your identity, and you could be an Assassin due to your history.

Where are your command spells?"

"They're…"

 _ **'On your arms.'**_

'Thanks.'

Stripping her arm warmers, Mordred was starting to feel underdressed and unprotected with no Kairi for backup. The red tattoos which were engraved on her arms appeared arcane, jagged and even fiery as they formed runic symbols.

" … here."

With a Ruler's non-interventionist policy, Rin relaxed somewhat upon irrefutable evidence being presented. But the scowling Archer raised his bow towards Mordred again, grimly suggesting.

"Still, it's not a reason to let a wildcard live. Give me the order."

Rin balked at Archer's words, spinning around to hold up the two remaining command spells on her hand.

"No! She can be an ally!"

And Father surprised Mordred by tensing up, tightening her grip on her Excalibur while her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"In spite of our past and strained relationship, Mordred is still my progeny and a fellow Knight. Should you fire at her, know that you incur my wrath by extension."

Father…

Shirou was also looking ready to argue against shooting Mordred in cold blood, but Archer eventually relented, lowering his bow in the face of peer pressure from all sides.

Why was Archer so anxious to take her -

Ah.

Somehow, he must've come from another timeline for some reason. His younger self didn't seem to know about his identity, if he wasn't already freaking out and babbling about meeting his future self. Shirou stood there looking like a square, oblivious to the greater world of Heroic Spirits and battle royales in his first day.

Looking at Archer's grimace, he knew she knew.

And now, she knew that he knew she knew his true identity, thanks to being a Ruler-Class servant.

Prime blackmail material.

Rin then piped up with a seemingly innocuous suggestion,

"Well then. Since you likely don't have a master to stay with as an independent overseer, would you like to make yourself comfortable at the Tohsaka mansion?

Don't mind Archer, he's cold and aloof, but he means well."

Was she trying to curry favor with a Ruler, gaining another ally in the Fifth Holy Grail War?

"No thanks, I have - "

Her mind went back to Kairi, but realized everyone from her own timeline now led different lives here. Even if she tracked them down, the fact that she was in a different timeline meant that they likely wouldn't recognize her.

"Oh wait, they're all gone…"

Kairi, Sieg, Achilles, Karna, Amakusa Shirou, Jeanne …

 _ **'Um, I'm still here.'**_

 _'Yeah, as a disembodied voice in my head. I appreciate your help, saint, but I can't shelter myself with the power of friendship and words of encouragement.'_

 ** _'Touché.'_**

Saber also looked dejected for some reason as if sharing her misery, a confused Mordred being given a plausible explanation by the Maid of Orleans.

 _ **'Perhaps with your "They're all gone" statement, Artoria-san thought you were referring to Britannia and the Knights of the Round Table, not the participants in the Greater Grail War.'**_

Oh right.

No one knew she was a time traveller.

"Well then, it's not proper for a Tohsaka to allow a Heroic Spirit, much less a Ruler, to live off the streets like some beggar.

Archer, escort Mordred-san back to the manor. I'll have a talk with Emiya-san about what he's gotten himself into, and I'll even bring him to Kotomine-san to acknowledge him as a master."

Rin flashed her command spell with all the subtlety of a cop revealing his sidearm to warn everyone what he was carrying. Archer directed his flinty gaze at Shirou should he order Saber to attack Rin while he was away, but Saber stood before him with her lowered Excalibur.

Sighing resignedly, Archer dematerialized his weapon and faced Mordred, his glare boring a hole through the unfazed knight.

"As you wish, Rin. Summon me if he tries anything.

You, follow me."

The _'we need to talk'_ was implied. Noticing Father was giving her retreating figure a conflicted glance, Mordred, having always been the 'talk first, think later' person, voiced her unfiltered thoughts.

"See you around, _Father."_

Mordred wanted to slap herself upside the head for uttering that the way she did.

 _'Dammit, I just had to antagonize Father in our very first meeting after all these years, huh?'_

Wait.

This was an alternate timeline. And while she was now fully healed as the Greater Grail was magnanimous enough to restore Mordred's strength, bring over Clarent and her clothes to pass as a foreigner, it it hadn't bothered giving her cash, food, identification, a shelter over her head or bring over anyone from her timeline like Kairi.

So she was essentially homeless, penniless, friendless and was no better off than a bum on the roadside, like Rin said.

She really had to include some terms and conditions the next time she wished upon a Holy Grail.

 _ **'Ah, oops?'**_

Fuuuuuu -

* * *

" - ahhhh. I've almost forgotten how it felt to live like this."

Mordred was in a luxurious bathroom with marble-tiled floors, scented showers and ample space as if back during Arthurian times, where she was treated with something similar as a Knight of the Round Table (before she fucked everyone over, anyway.) The bubble bath was not an unwelcome distraction to ease the unexpected paranoia, stress and loneliness of time travel.

Studying the command spells tattooed on to her raised arms, they acted as a constant reminder of her current mission resulting from a misinterpreted wish, sighing at the predicament she was trapped in.

Why did things have to be so complicated?

She only wanted to pull Caliburn from the ground, how did she get drafted into another Grail War and had to pull Caliburn out of her father's corpse?

Stupid Greater Grail, stupid war, stupid -

Wait.

Another presence made himself known on the other side of the bathroom dividers. Archer sat himself down on the other side, his resolute signature belying no unsavory intent as he got down to brass tacks.

"You know my name with your True Name Discernment, Ruler?"

"Yes."

"Then you know I'm a time traveller of sorts; you'd best keep that to yourself and stay out of my way."

"And pray tell, what exactly is it you're working towards?"

 _"Correcting a living mistake."_

Even to a hardened warrior like her, Mordred shivered at the chilling edge lining Archer's words despite soaking in piping-hot bathwater, but she managed to keep her voice steady.

"Well, if it's got even you sounding that serious, I'm not standing in your way. Just asking, but what do you think the odds are of everyone else noticing my arrival?"

"Your presence concealment was completely unrefined.

If Lancer hadn't already been invested in fending off Saber, he might've detected you. He could've also detected you and I as he retreated."

"But he wouldn't know who I am or if I had a master, so that's something. You don't hold back with your words, hm?"

"You seemed capable of handling it; unless I misjudged you, and your skin's paper-thin like your armor."

"Well, at least I don't have arrows stuck up the arrow quiver that is my ass; where do you store your equipment anyway, Archer?"

Archer merely gave an irritated huff at the insinuation, sounding like he was getting up and away from the devolving conversation, something Archer likely believed himself to be above.

"This is ridiculous. If there's nothing else, I'm taking my leav - "

 _"Emiya Shirou."_

She felt Archer halt, Mordred's no-nonsense calling of his name likely surprised even him. Mordred looked over her naked shoulder to address Archer, throwing a bone out to the fellow time traveller.

"How about I tell you where I'm really from?

I must warn you though, without any proof due to external circumstances, it can be considered quite an… apocryphal tale."

"Why should I?"

A knowing smile stretched across Mordred's cheeks, dropping the next bomb on Archer to successfully tempt him into listening.

"Because we time travellers have to stick together, no?"

Archer remained silent for the longest of moments before sitting back down. It was a signal for Mordred to begin, sharing her tale about fourteen masters and servants with two saintly Rulers, warring on a scale unlike any other.


	3. Chapter 3 - Iscariot

**Author's Notes**

 _Wow, I did not expect this huge of a response and following with two chapters, I'll try and address some of the reviews I've seen thus far._

 _ffure21: You made an excellent point about Mordred and her dislike of being treated like a girl, thank you!_

 _I don't mind this kind of criticism because it's constructive and points out an OOC moment which I overlooked, and the points about my writing might be because I'm transitioning from writing a long-running story to a shorter, more contained one while retaining my old habits._

 _In fact, I need someone to bounce ideas off of and discuss points with, and going by your DP, you are a man of culture as a Mordred fan; would you mind if I spoke to you more via PM regarding this story?_

 _Necro-Pen: I remember you, fellow reader._

 _Hopefully with a shorter and more concise story as well as some writing experience under my belt, this one won't suffer the same pitfalls as the first run of Kancolle Alt._

 _: (with Google Translate) Me entristece decir que el harén no va a suceder, pero es por eso que siempre tendremos el poder de doujinshi_ ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

 _To everyone else, thanks for your replies, they mean the world to me._

* * *

" … That's quite the tall tale."

"Impossible?"

"No. I've seen my fair share of anomalies, and I'm a fellow time traveler. Things like these are completely feasible."

Mordred lifted an eyebrow to concede the point, having kept the 'I-have-to-kill-my-dad' part out of her reveal to Archer.

As a manipulator who turned the Round Table in on itself, Mordred knew how not to reveal all her cards to anyone. As Archer was future Shirou, current Shirou's blushing while near Father meant the more misinterpreted parts of her wish, specifically the mandated patricide, likely wouldn't be well-received even by Archer.

She turned to face the divider and called out.

"Just so I know what to do to get out your way, what's your goal in time-travelling here?"

"I'm here to kill my past self."

Ok.

That had Mordred stunned for a good ten seconds, her surprised expression shifting back to neutral before clarifying.

"And you're sure you're not causing a time loop, or you're fulfilling your own role in creating your present self?"

"No. Me replacing a different Archer Rin summoned in my timeline means I've already changed things. If I kill Emiya Shirou in this timeline, I can hopefully create a time paradox which erases myself from existence, allowing Rin to contract with Saber.

… It's what she always wanted."

"Well, I'm not sure if it'll go the way you want it to, if my wish being screwed over by the Grail is any indication."

Archer's silence was his way of demanding a follow-up explanation, which Mordred exercised her brain muscles to piece together.

"Your past has diverged from this current Shirou's route, yes. But because of that, I don't believe killing him changes anything. It'd close off all of current Shirou's future paths, sure.

But the timeline you're from, where Rin summoned another Archer, that path still exists to create you to be sent back here, dooming this Shirou's routes where _you_ were the Archer."

"Then I'll break him and crush his delusions of being a Hero of Justice. It'll lead him down my path before I kill him, he'll understand what I'm doing once he sees the world for what it is."

"And like I said, Archer. You being here to question and point out the flaws in Shirou's ideals, which no one did for you, means that he'd never completely become like you to fulfill your goal.

By coming back to try and kill him, you've inadvertently ensured his death in any timeline would likely never cause your uncreation."

Archer remained silent upon having his plan be unceremoniously poked full of holes by Mordred, but his signature flared up as he growled like a wary watchdog.

 _"Trouble."_

Mordred sprung from the bath without hesitation, since being trained to be a Round Table knight and Father's 'successor' by Morgan meant becoming a soldier who was ready to rush to battle from a bath, a dinner or even from sleep.

Archer was already heading out the door as he called out,

"I'll go on ahead. You follow later!"

Hurriedly drying her hair and wiping herself down with superhuman speed, Mordred blitzed out of the room as Jeanne popped in to ask for an update.

' _ **Um, Mordred-san, did you and Archer-san discuss anything important?'**_

' _What? Jeanne, I thought you were listening the entire while.'_

' _ **Oh, I would never be so disrespectful and tactless to bother someone in the bath… It would also be rude to accidentally peep…'**_

' _Girl, you're a disembodied voice in my mind. How the hell're you going to peep on me?'_

' … _**Oh.'**_

Sighing as she donned her freshly ironed clothes (Archer was damned good at doing the chores, for sure), Mordred summarized the discussion with Archer, watching his distant back and broad shoulders vanish into the distance.

' _We… know that we're both time travelers. Anything more will have to wait.'_

* * *

Catching up wasn't too hard since Archer allowed Mordred to keep his signature in range, but since Rin's life was at stake, Mordred played catch up after leaving the manor.

Arriving as a hulking mass of muscle crashed into its surroundings, Father was playing matador in a graveyard with Hercules as the bull. Berserker charged towards gravestones which Saber utilized as shelter, evading when Berserker's thunderous footsteps reached a crescendo.

Donning her armor, Clarent's crimson radiance and warped the air as Mordred's howl matched Berserker's in intensity, unleashing her Noble Phantasm.

 _Damn_ , that move hurt.

Mordred's body throbbed in protest upon weaponizing her hatred, but Hercules shrugged off her Noble Phantasm and bulled through the dust clouds, Mordred barely evading his bulldozing figure.

"What! _Two_ Saber-Class servants?" a white-haired girl, dressed for winter, exclaimed.

As Archer unleashed his flurry of arrows to tickle the enraged Hercules while Saber performed noncommittal strikes, Mordred bid her time to aim for the little girl, clearly a master.

She wouldn't kill her, though.

Not when she was still useful with Berserker at her command.

Seething from her Noble Phantasm's aftereffects while staying afar, Mordred watched Berserker shake off the two servants' attack. He sidled up beside the girl as she introduced herself.

"My name's Illyasviel Von Einzbern. Onii-chan, Tohsaka-san, servants-san, let's play together." Her aura flared up with killing intent no child should possess, complete with crimson pupils piercing her darkening expression. Berserker's roar cracked the earth, protectively backing Illya with its flexing muscles and glowing eyes.

 _"And please don't break too quickly._

 _Berserker doesn't get to go outside and play with other servants often."_

Saber rushed forward and Mordred kept her distance, Archer prepping something powerful in the background. In his hand materialized an arrow, Saber distracting Berserker as Archer recited.

"I am the bone of my sword… _Caladbolg!"_

Assembling her helmet to protect herself, Mordred rushed over to Illya and nabbed her. Caladbolg flew true, Mordred's armor protecting her from the conflagration which engulfed Berserker and the graveyard in a passionate inferno.

Taking Illya hostage while standing between her and the ensuing fireball, Mordred held Clarent's edge near Illya's neck and yelled into the simmering battlefield.

"Don't move a muscle, Berserker, or I'll - "

An aflame juggernaut sped forth as Illya craned her neck to reveal a smirk. The towering shadow which eclipsed Mordred had her instinctively evading while Saber blitzed towards her, the titan's flash-step cratering the earth in its wake.

Saber deflected Hercules's fire punch, causing a shockwave while Archer quick-fired five arrows into his flesh. This two-front attack stunned Berserker long enough to allow Mordred to escape with Illya in hand.

Saber was disgusted at her unchivalrous actions, yelling at Mordred disapprovingly.

"Mordred! Don't do this; it's unbecoming of us to take hostages!"

" _Not now!_ Nice Hercules summon, kid."

That whisper wiped the smug grin off Illya's face as Mordred held her close, forcing even Hercules to exercise caution. She leaned in to whisper conspiratorially into Illya's ear, her helmet minimizing the odds of anyone lip-reading her.

"I'm a Ruler-Class servant, brat. This means that I'm gonna derail whatever nefarious plans you may have to try and game the system.

But…" Mordred wanted to possess leverage over as many people as possible. " … I can give you 'Onii-chan' if you'll let me fight Saber one-on-one, killing his pesky servant.

Back off for now, and I'll tell you how I'll deliver him to you later."

"Why should I believe you?"

"I can abuse my command spells to force Berserker to leave, but I'm risking my neck to talk to you right now. Besides, as an act of good faith, I'll tell you that the Saber before you is King Arthur.

You want Onii-chan alive, I want King Arthur dead."

That last part was a bluff, but Mordred knew to appeal to her audience to buy their cooperation, a contemplative Illya finally calling out.

"Berserker! We're done here, let's go home!"

Lowering Clarent to show her sincerity, Hercules didn't relax even as a released Illya ran up to climb onto his lowered palm. The earth shuddered with every step, the lumbering Hercules left with Illya riding atop his shoulder.

Rin was naturally incredulous at the fight's anti-climax.

"You just let her go?!"

"You'd rather I slit Illya's throat _then_ have us deal with Berserker?" Rin was aghast at Mordred's morbid suggestion, never expecting her question to be twisted out of context.

"N-No, but…"

Emiya spoke, "W-Well, I suppose playing fair means we can resolve fights without anyone getting grievously hurt or killed, instead of climbing over each other's corpses for a grail."

Rin, despite wanting to argue in favour of the utilitarian and ruthless approach, failed to construct a counterargument to Shirou backing Mordred's actions, turning away with an annoyed huff.

Passing by her suspicious father, Father gave her a wary aside glance.

"What did you say to Illya to get her to leave, Mordred?" Mordred was glad that she wore her helmet, masking her discomfort of hiding the truth from her father once more.

"I told her what she wanted to hear."

* * *

Looking down at the tattoos-slash-Command Spells adorning her arms while relaxing in the Tohsaka Manor, Mordred addressed the saint in her head,

' _Saint. How many command spells do I have, exactly?'_

' _ **Three for each servant, and seven of them is twenty-two.'**_

' _Three times seven is twenty-one.'_

Mordred got the sullen silent treatment after that, but as she wrapped her mind around wielding the most power in this War, Rin came out of the shower for her to corner as Mordred questioned the robed girl.

"Who was that little girl?"

"Um… She introduced herself as an Einzbern, one of the three families which started the Holy Grail War." Rin pulled away from the advancing Mordred, but the Knight of Treachery never relented, cutting to the chase to give Rin zero breathing space.

"You don't think that Shirou is cut out to have Saber, right? And with Hercules as Illya's servant, you have your work cut out for you."

Blanching, Rin stammered, "H-Hercules? I had a suspicion, but…"

"Look, Archer alone won't be able to take Berserker down if it tanked even my Noble Phantasm head-on. We both know Shirou's no mage, even his summoning of Father is incomplete; he wouldn't have had this much trouble with Hercules otherwise."

Rin likely saw where she was coming from, she just didn't want to be the first one to betray his trust and strain their alliance unless necessary, Mordred mentally drafting her plan.

Convince Rin to coerce Shirou into handing over his command spells and control over Saber, and Mordred could then hand Shirou over to Illya.

Provided Illya didn't kill Shirou, which Mordred would confirm in their next meeting, Archer would have to fight Berserker to get to him, and she could fight Father without any interruptions.

Hopefully.

Forcing Rin back into a wall and slamming her arm beside Rin's head, Mordred uttered into her blushing and slightly distressed face.

"Tohsaka Rin.

If Shirou continued fighting in this Holy Grail War, he'd be the kind of person who'd throw himself headfirst into danger, and that compromises father's odds of winning. I wish to see Father winning this War and have his wish fulfilled, whatever it is. Gaining Saber benefits you; two servants, and Shirou will be safe.

Everybody wins."

A slap was what she received to the cheek, Rin accusingly stared as she seethed.

 _"Don't you try it._

I don't know what you're playing at, but I'm not one to simply manipulate and betray those around me like you did to the Knights! Even if you're an esteemed guest, should I find out you're backing another master by splitting us up, I won't hesitate to have Archer take you down!"

That stab at Mordred's past was a low blow.

But she had something stronger to counter Rin with.

"And what happens when it's the two of you left after eliminating the rest?

Are you going to have Archer shoot Shirou in cold blood, knowing you could've had him surrender peacefully?" That question had Rin stumped, but she finally shook these thoughts from her mind and took off with a huff.

"I won't hear any more of this! Good night!"

Mordred didn't give chase, not when Rin's voice was strained and her expression, conflicted. The idea which Mordred implanted into Rin would gnaw away at her throughout the night.

If she read Rin correctly, she'd take Shirou out while justifying it as protecting him; she was smart enough to know Mordred's theorized showdown would likely occur near the endgame. Rin didn't seem the type to strike down someone so decent and idealistic, even for a wish-granting device.

Time to think of what to do with Illya and Archer.


	4. Chapter 4 - All Under Heaven

Mordred walked with Archer through the streets, having bought clothes whose long sleeves covered her arms after receiving wary stares from civilians. Kids were led away by concerned parents, words like 'gaijin', 'gangster' and 'delinquent' being whispered too often for Mordred's liking.

Why couldn't these command spells be placed someplace more discreet?

And did Kairi have to deal with this shit, brushing off everyone's judgemental attitude before enlisting in the Greater Grail War? He looked like a biker gang member with his leather clothes, sunglasses and unkempt hairstyle, after all.

Whatever.

Archer picked up their conversation where it left off.

"Killing him now's an act of mercy. It's preferable than letting him continue and possibly becoming me down the road, having his ideals crushed like mine were."

"So you risk erasing your own existence just because you didn't get the happy ending you think you deserve? That's sad."

"I don't see why I have to explain myself to you, Ruler."

"Well, if you can't convince me that killing Shirou's the right course of action, then how are you going to convince Shirou himself to accept your views before you kill him? I can tell he's the diligent and stubborn kind, but he's capable of accepting the merits of contrasting ideals with a solid argument."

Archer said nothing in response as Mordred's comment hit home, thinking through his next words.

"I'll kill him once he becomes like me, when he realizes what lays down this thankless path. When he gives up his ideals, that's when I'll perforate him with arrows."

But Mordred wasn't convinced Archer himself completely believed in his own crusade, pulling out what she'd gleaned regarding Archer past/future to reinforce her argument.

His eyes of a trained killer.

His reflexes and skills which were no doubt trained and honed on the battlefield.

His stoic, unsympathetic and utilitarian nature, likely adopted as a defense mechanism after a tumultuous past eroded away at his ideals, desolating his soul.

"From where I'm looking, you're deluded enough to think your experiences give you the right to condemn and execute every other Shirou in their timelines to put them out of your own bloody misery.

Your life's likely been filled with murder, destruction and death after the Fifth Holy Grail War, to the point where you've forgotten other ways to solve your problems. I disagree with your view that killing him is a form of mercy.

That boy's going to die believing in his ideals like a chump. And Archer, you've been given a chance to set him right."

"What?"

Mordred whispered in hushed tones as they rounded another corner, with less and less people populating this area of Fuyuki city and allowed for unscrupulous meetings.

"If he knows of your past, he'll know that it's possible for him to fall like you did.

You didn't, since Rin summoned a different Archer in _your_ timeline. That's why amongst the Shirou of various timelines, you had it the worst by hailing from a bad future with no you to warn yourself. But unlike what you've been conditioned to believe, you can change things for the better."

" … What are you suggesting?"

"We'll create an opportunity where you'll be able to beat the more impractical aspects of both your ideals out of him.

But don't break him completely.

When he recognizes his dream's in pieces too small to be put back the way he wants it to, show him a different path.

A better path.

Mold those pieces however you desire, and help Shirou become what you never could, Archer."

The time traveller looked down at her with a wary scowl, his busy gaze belying the cogs spinning in his mind as he commented.

" … Perhaps I'd underestimated you, Knight of Treachery.

Despite your headstrong and fiery personality while likely possessing a penchant for getting into fights, you're at your most dangerous when you use your head."

A past Mordred would have flared up at that comment, arguing the point and proving him right. But along with understanding Archer's prickly personality, along with possessing the weariness of a war veteran after surviving one Grail War, Mordred also learnt to rein in her aggressive attitude with a stronger sense of self-control by answering offhandedly.

"You're probably right.

It's this kind of sense or instinct, where I can tell what people are like on the inside and what they really want, and if I have it, I don't think it has any correlation to bookish intelligence.

In another time, it might have been used to help me understand others to help them with their problems, but Morgan had me use it to feel out the insecurities of my fellow knights, using them to my advantage."

"But you _are_ in another time."

Just as Mordred was about to enter another painful journey down memory lane by recalling the Round Table's falling out by her hand, Archer's blithe comment left her looking up at his enigmatic scowl, his silence allowing Mordred to freely interpret that line.

Mordred had travelled into another time, sure, and she could make a fresh start here and use her skills to better effect rather than causing everything to crash and burn.

Illya was waiting for them in a less-oft visited alleyway in a shady neighborhood, sheltered by the buildings which provided cover for any servant worth his/her salt to sneak their master here undetected. But there was no ill-intent in either of their signatures as Illya greeted.

"Archer-san, and you who I assume is Ruler-san.

Hello again."

Archer gave her an aside glance at how Illya knew of Mordred's Ruler-Class, Mordred nonchalantly shrugging as she answered.

"Yo, I'm Mordred.

Son of King Arthur, the Knight of Treachery and unwilling Ruler overseeing the Fifth Holy Grail War. Just getting some things out of the way, of all the people in the graveyard, you only called Shirou 'Onii-chan'.

What's the deal with that?"

"Papa betrayed our family by destroying the Fourth Grail and abandoning Mama, as well as running off to Japan to be with Onii-chan!

I won't forgive him, and since I can't bring Papa or Mama back, he'll pay in their stead!" Illya's expression darkened as she poured out her heart's woes, sharing a troubled past with them which Mordred could empathize with on some level thanks to her own estranged father.

Mordred asked Illya,

"If we give you Shirou, would you kill him with Berserker?"

Illya's expression became conflicted, lowering her gaze as she contemplated the harsh and confrontational question.

"I… I don't know.

He had Papa raising him after abandoning me and destroying the Grail, I can't forgive him for that.

But Onii-chan doesn't seem like a bad person, and he appears to carry on Papa's spirit after being raised by him before Papa's death in Japan." Looking at Archer for answers since he'd fought in this war before, he imperceptibly shook his head to indicate that in spite of her initial hostility, Shirou's kind personality would likely endear him to Illya with subsequent meetings.

Another thought flashed into Mordred's mind as she asked, although she had a sneaking suspicion regarding the answer.

"Wait.

Why're you younger than Shirou if you're born long enough to remember the Fourth Holy Grail War which, to my understanding, happened ten years ago?"

" … I'm a homunculus designed to be an excellent mage, I don't age normally. I may look like a child, but I'm actually eighteen years old."

"Whew, that's a relief to know that I'm not the only homunculus in this town. I'm made by my mom Morgan Le Fay to be a clone of Father, Morgan's sister, and it all went downhill from there.

Keeping it in the family, real classy of them … "

Illya appeared surprised at Mordred's nonchalant response instead of the expected fear or scorn, even betraying her expectations by revealing her own artifical origins via quasi-incestual inbreeding, the albino breaking down into soft laughter.

"Haha, you're funny, Ruler-san! I might just hold off on killing you at this rate!"

Archer then looked away as his demeanor hardened, providing a live update regarding an attempt on both Rin and Shirou's lives by another servant while likely in the midst of Rin's coercion.

"I can no longer sense Rin's signature, it was last felt at the school. I should go."

"Is there an enemy servant attacking them? You think Rin and Shirou can defend themselves?" Knowing that Archer had knowledge of the future, he likely already suspected who it was as he made his choice.

"Make this conversation fast."

Illya's interest was piqued by this recent development, Berserker sharing her budding enthusiasm with its restless grunts as she asked darkly.

"Is someone threatening Onii-chan's life?

I won't forgive them if they are; I won't let anyone near Onii-chan until I decide what to do with him."

Mordred racked her mind, because while she knew enough about how people worked to either use or help them, she often came up short in the imagination department.

"No. I have a plan."

Everyone turned to Archer, a scene playing out behind his unfocused gaze.

"This is what we'll do."

* * *

So that was Archer's plan.

With Saber and Mordred taking on Rider in the school, Archer, Rin and Shirou would be attacked by Berserker in the Emiya Manor.

Berserker would throw Archer towards Rin and Shirou to split them up, and as Berserker charged Archer with a cruel choice between saving either master, he'd choose to save Rin and allow Hercules to catch Shirou.

It was simple, elegant, and most of all, it was likely to work.

Having bought a music player with Rin's money (a benefit of having a rich backer), Mordred listened to a song called,

 _'Everybody Wants to Rule the World'_

It was sung by an English band, allowing Mordred to listen to her mother tongue while thinking about the known players, her final goal being lifting Caliburn.

As the song described, everyone's scramble to the top was destructive and ultimately futile as the ceaseless waves of corruption, infighting, war and the march of time washed everything away like a beachside sandcastle.

England spawned several kings and empires throughout the ages. Father's empire fell after Mordred divided the Round Table, and the British Empires finally collapsed after fighting in the Hundred Years War, War of the Roses, American Revolutionary War, the Napoleonic Wars and eventually in the two World Wars.

' _ **I apologize for going against Britain in the Hundred Year War, but it was to end the bloodshed by God's orders.'**_

' _It's fine, you did what you did to help your country gain independence; can't fault you for that._

 _Still…'_

Mordred shivered at the song's title being sung as she thought about everyone trampling over each other not just to get to the top, but also to bring those above them down to their level with the corrupting temptation of power.

Illya stayed behind with Mordred after the meeting to share the fact that she was designed to be a proficient mage even before exiting her mother's womb, all to become strong enough to win the war for her family as they ruthlessly cheated to win.

A pointless chasing of the wind, yet people dared to climb and gain more power through their machinations, the power of wishes driving those in this Grail War down to the lowest of lows in order to reach the highest of highs.

"You look like a woman I once knew. I grant you the honor of speaking to me. Name yourself, mongrel."

Whipping her head around, Mordred felt the intimidating signature of a heroic spirit standing behind her. Mordred almost blew her cover by summoning Clarent in her barely suppressed fight-or-flight response.

The monstrously overwhelming, yet regal and magnificent aura flowed out from the half-god-half-human king with swept-back blonde hair, golden jewellery, red eyes and an ego which eclipsed the universe itself.

Behind Mordred stood the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh.


	5. Chapter 5 - Off With His Head

The King of Heroes.

Gilgamesh's haughty, larger-than-life personality was translated into fancy civilian clothes as if stepping out from a photo-shoot, having identified Mordred as a Heroic Spirit. Gilgamesh's gaze was directed downwards at everyone, including Mordred.

"Relax, child. I, Gilgamesh, have no wish to fight in a place which could incur tremendous collateral damage."

"Hm, didn't know you cared."

"Of course.

As weak as the modern world and its degenerate inhabitants may be, I've no intention of fouling my mood by staining my surroundings with their filthy corpses, even if they are ants in the presence of divinity.

There's a time for combat, and a time for peace; I hold off my punishment as they do not recognize royalty and grovel before my feet, a sin which has always been and will always be punishable by death."

Pompous and self-centered, but Gilgamesh clearly had the strength to back his ego up as Mordred found little reason not to introduce herself to buy herself some time.

"The name's Mordred. I'm King Arthur's kid." Gilgamesh's eyes narrowed disdainfully, lifting his head to look down his nose as though recognizing something foul.

"Ah, I see. I'd read that King Arthur conceived a most treacherous offspring, you share her looks and beauty to the point of almost appearing to be twins.

However, I now see the similarity is only skin-deep. You are but a mere reflection in the mirror, nigh-flawless in your impersonation of Saber but utterly devoid of substance, dimension or even her elegance.

It appears I've wasted my time on you, mongrel."

Okay.

Father was a controversial figure in her life, but _this_ asshole was on a whole other level of 'douchebag' entirely, her nose wrinkling in disgust. Mordred sneered, questioning his egotistical, bordering on godlike view of himself.

"Do you have your subjects worshipping the ground you walk on, thanking you for the sun rising every morning?"

"Of course! The sun is but an extension of my supreme brilliance, shining down upon my kingdom. How can mongrels lay their awed gaze on my kingdom should the sun fail to rise?"

"Oh, with the moon and their eyes, I guess?" Gilgamesh did not appreciate the biting quip, his expression souring as he remarked.

"Hmph, an unrefined mongrel unlike Saber. Learn some finesse and manners from your elders."

Mordred resisted the urge to cut Gilgamesh down where he stood, since she had no idea of what he was capable of. Jeanne then piped up with an update from the Greater Grail.

 _ **'Mordred, he's one of the anomalies!**_

 _ **Gilgamesh participated in the Fourth Holy Grail War, the Throne of Heroes didn't detect his vessel being erased after the last war. He survives since the corrupted grail granted him a flesh-and-blood body which, much like yours, doesn't require mana from a master to stay on Earth after the war.**_

 _ **His last master, Tokiomi Tohsaka, was murdered in the last war, his second master being the current moderator, Kirei Kotomine!'**_

Bloody hell, why was everything so damn _complicated?_

"Why the interest in Sab - Father?"

"Why? Because she belongs to me, of course! All that exists under heaven is mine to own and indulge in, and Saber is no different.

She is sublime in appearance yet willful and virtuous, but her ideals are as flawed as her silly little wish to erase her reign, seceding the throne to someone more capable to prevent her empire's downfall.

Saber will make a fine wife, if only she were to submit to me!"

Mordred's jaw muscles tensed, her eyes dulling at the reveal of father's asinine wish. Smoking embers of disdain for Saber, borne of rejection being fanned again by the fact that Saber wanted to erase her entire reign, and by extension, Mordred.

Tristan.

Lancelot.

Gawain.

Even herself.

Everyone who fought to the death for her sake, even those who were swayed into betraying father for their own personal reasons, was Father spitting on their sacrifices by pressing a big 'reset' button?

She remained silent while a haughty Gilgamesh continued,

"Of course, she's stubborn and refuses to bend to my will, but it's a matter of time before she is enchanted by me. I shall deign to make a note of your existence in order to ensure our kids never grow up to be a backstabbing mongrel like you, _Knight of Treachery."_

That mightier-than-thou attitude rubbed Mordred the wrong way more than his petty insults ever did, her wary mind racing as she asked.

"So you think you can break Father's spirit and have her be your obedient wife, and the fact that she's so obstinate in denying your love is what you like about her?"

"Partially correct, mongrel.

And if she submits as I shower her with despair upon realizing the futility of her struggle, I'd grant her any wish, bestow her any title and give her anything she desires!"

"Ah, then I suppose Father's no different from a common whore you pick up if she doesn't immediately return your feelings, you're just waiting for her to spread her legs before you get bored with her, hm?

You like women who're well-mannered yet self-assured, willful and don't instantly get wet in your presence, spurning your advances instead?

Didn't know the King of Heroes was such a masochist."

Talking about Father sexually disgusted Mordred (the thought of someone _bedding_ Father alone required copious amounts of brain bleach) but she was surely pushing Gilgamesh's buttons as the King of Heroes had a dangerous glint in his eyes, the kind which did not take lightly to anyone making biting remarks at his expense.

"You will not talk about Saber and I with that kind of language, _mongrel._ Continue, and I will ensure not even your ashes remain once I unleash my Gate of Babylon."

"I assume that's your Noble Phantasm, you sure you're comfortable with sharing its name like that?"

Gilgamesh raised his head as he sneered, "There is no harm in sharing the existence of my Noble Phantasm, because _no one_ can counter my Noble Phantasm.

You may take your leave and scurry back into whatever hole you crawled out of, Mongrel. I will take pleasure in making you suffer, before executing you for the sin of sullying Saber's image with your inferior imitation."

Mordred sneered at his death threat, although she was genuinely cautious of pissing off Gilgamesh to where he wouldn't bother hiding his true strength. Especially if he was Kirei Kotomine's trump card, properly considering her response.

"You know nothing about love.

True, I've been a victim of father's cold attitude before and have never had anything resembling a normal upbringing.

But what you feel now is interest for Father's untouchable nature, much like being in awe of something out of your reach, like the moon. You rule everything under heaven, so someone like Saber naturally attracts your interest as some _thing_ you want to possess.

Once you reach your goal, which will never _fucking happen_ , it'll lose that exotic spell and you'll lose interest in Father." Gilgamesh inhaled sharply, receptive enough to listen to sensible points. He eventually shrugging his shoulders and glowered at Mordred.

"A fair point, but when directed against me, all criticisms are rendered invalid. Of course, you'll still be killed for daring to slander my image with said criticism in the first place.

I say this, however, if Saber were to beg me when we recite our wedding vows, I _might_ consider sparing your life to take you in as a concubine in my harem."

"Denied."

She instantly rejected his olive branch, she wasn't going to be anyone's bitch-in-waiting and spread her legs for anyone.

Folding up her sleeves to brazenly display her Ruler-Class command spells while sending him a death glare, she saw Gilgamesh's smug grin vanish. He'd have to report this new development to Kirei, Mordred being a wildcard which even the priest didn't foresee.

"I won't hesitate to take you down should you and Kirei not play by the rules, for I am a Ruler-Class servant sent to enforce fair play.

I may be a 'mere copy' of Father, but if Father is enough to give you trouble, imagine how suicidal it is to get on the bad side of _two_ Arthurian legends?"

"Be glad you share Saber's looks, _Mordred,_ however inferior an impersonation it may be; otherwise, I would've struck you down for your insolence."

Mordred turned away from Gilgamesh, sharing his scowl as the King of Heroes used her real name, not out of respect but out of unbridled malice. She walked away, feeling Gilgamesh's smoldering glare train on her while she thought about Father's wish.

* * *

It was after-school hours, and Saber and Mordred entered the school which Shirou and Rin attended, all according to plan while Illya was making her way to the Emiya Manor. Mordred finally broke the uneasy silence between them, since it was the first time they were alone together in this timeline.

"I met Gilgamesh earlier today, Father."

That easily got her attention, Saber spinning around to face Mordred. Her voice was laced with concern borne from having fought Gilgamesh before, as Mordred expected.

"So the King of Heroes still lives. Did he hurt you, Mordred?"

"No. But he told me many things, Father.

 _Might I ask why you wish to erase your rule from history?"_

Saber recoiled at the malice dripping from Mordred's poisonous tone, likely reminding her of the lower points in their relationship as Mordred continued.

"If your wish is granted, _Father_ , you'll be spitting on everything we ever worked for and everything we believed in.

How _dare_ you?"

Saber looked down guiltily, attempting to justify herself to Mordred, who was instrumental in Britain's downfall and her death.

" … Mordred, please understand. It was my fault Britannia collapsed, since I allowed those dissatisfied with my rule to turn their wrath against everyone else. I believe someone else out there can do better.

Everyone deserved better. And that's what they'll get if my wish comes true."

Mordred had reached boiling point long ago, exploding at her father's apparent insanity.

"So that means you're going to uncreate me?!

Father, we all loved you to have followed you devoutly. It was only because you became so perfect and unrelatable, we grew distant from you! We may have regretted how things turned out in the end, but they defined us, we never want you to simply reset everything!"

Saber remained silent, dreading this confrontation she never expected as Mordred continued.

"If you never became king, you'd marry someone normally and Morgan would never think to create me, a homunculus made from your seed, wishing me out of existence.

Wishing you were never king would invalidate our time together, good or bad, as well as everyone's time spent working together for Britannia.

Why? _Why?"_

"Mordred, I fought Berserker in the Fourth War, revealing himself to be Lancelot. I caused his suffering, I take responsibility for his pitiful state, and he wished for me to condemn and punish him instead of forgiving him like I did.

Perhaps if someone else took my place, this would have never occurred - "

Mordred was incredulous, wondering what bout of insanity consumed Father as she screamed.

"But he never regretted serving you, Arthur!

None of us did.

We only regret going too far to preserve everything we worked for, because you were far too alien in everyone's eyes! I led the rebellion because I felt the populace's fear of your inhuman personality, akin to having a psychopath on the throne.

Even as you were betrayed and abandoned, you never shed any tears for those who died fighting for you. Everyone feared you, since you never expressed any human emotions to indicate we meant something to you.

Shed some tears atop their corpses, express anger at traitors, let some humanity seep through your facade; at least a psychopath fakes those to sell an illusion!"

Arthur was taking this wave of criticism far better than Mordred expected, and by 'better' she meant that Arthur was at least expressing some form of emotion in the form of dawning horror at the truth being dropped on her.

"As for me, I thought you hated me because I was Morgan's child and would never be worthy in your eyes. After all, you said you didn't despise me in our final moments together, but you didn't say that you loved me either, right?

And right now, you're aiming to press a giant reset button and pretend _I_ never happened?"

Mordred's hateful glare was leveled at her shocked father, who was now looking extremely guilty as she spoke.

"Mordred, listen to me - "

"Shut up, don't talk to me. Think through your response, we'll talk later. I'll find the sigils keeping this Bounded Field up and destroy them."

"Mordred, wait. Rin said the sigils could be reform - "

" _I'll find them._ You fight Rider."

She didn't want to be around Father right now, her arm already itching to grab Clarent and stab father in the back to save both her father and herself from her absurd wish.

Destroying these sigils was easy, impaling them with Clarent and overloading them with mana. These were akin to delicate circuit boards and had to be hidden well, Mordred in the midst of destroying her twelfth before she noted the hurried footsteps of a panicked student.

"Rider, where the hell are you?! Defend me!"

Creeping up on the escaping blue-haired boy as her armor assembled, Mordred clotheslined the escaping student. And upon landing, the dawning horror was evident in his widening eyes as he squealed while holding up a book,

"Rider! I comma - "

Yeah, no.

Freeing both hands, Mordred punched him in the face, snatching his book to fling it away.

' _ **Mordred, you're not supposed to intervene.'**_

' _Oh please, like this little wimp's going to hurt me. Besides, him attempting to call his servant down on me_ technically _counts as an attempted attack, no?'_

' _ **Um…'**_

Jeanne and the Greater Grail were right to fear her liberal interpretation of a Ruler-Class's limits; perhaps that was why the Grail found Mordred so useful in this situation.

"AHH! You bitch!"

"Alright, with that, you've insulted me twice by calling me a female dog, and also highlighting the fact that I'm female."

"But you are! RIDER, WHERE ARE YOU, SAVE ME!"

"Can't you even try to fight back by yourself? You sad, sad little boy."

Lifting her foot to slam it into the side of his knee, his resulting howl went unheard by the empty school. He writhed on the floor, clutching his broken knee and sobbing hysterically as he got up to hobble away from the simmering Mordred.

He seemed incapable of self-defense, Mordred strolling and waiting for him to do anything other than limp and scream for help. He finally tried something which proved to be fruitless, but novel as he picked up a steel pipe to swing at Mordred's head.

Upon intercepting the blow, Mordred felt her cheeks stretch out into a shit-eating grin as he gave her a reason to strike back.

" _Thank you."_

Still seething from her encounter with Gilgamesh, the argument with Father and this wimp calling her names, she dragged the flailing boy into the forest behind the school while hearing Father call out,

"Rider! Come back and face me!"

She held the boy by the throat and summoned Clarent again to hold to his neck, detecting a servant approaching them with no fighting intent before making herself seen.

"Shinji."

Rider appeared before them, Medusa clutching the bloodied left arm which was inflicted by father's Excalibur while looking at her incapacitated master. Shinji attempted to scold her with what little breath he could gulp down,

"Rider, you useless bitch! I told you to protect me, and - "

Mordred slammed him to the ground and tightened her hold on Shinji's throat, the wheezing blue-haired boy barely taking in enough oxygen to keep himself conscious.

"Can't give you orders if he can't talk."

Rider's cheeks twitched to form something resembling a wry smile, but her eye-shield helped mask her intentions as she remarked while making no move to help her downed master.

"You were separated from the fight.

 _You_ ran away as Saber and I engaged in combat."

So this little coward also ran with his tail between his legs, and her instinct wasn't wrong when it told her this scumbag wasn't anything like Shirou, a brave and headstrong idiot which Mordred could at least respect for having guts.

"Yo, Medusa. I'm a Ruler-Class servant, real name Mordred. Your master tried attacking me, I had to take him out.

I don't want to kill this coward just yet to meet you and see how we can help each other out." The servant raised an eyebrow at how Shinji put up an actual fight, but contemplated something aside from her master's survival before speaking up.

"Ruler Mordred. I have a request of you, its fulfillment will leave me in your debt."

"Let's hear it."

" … This boy is not my true master. My true master is kind yet reserved, one of untapped potential as a mage but raised as a wallflower. She is not a fighter, and we will neither attack you nor interfere with your agenda.

Please have Shinji return his command spells to their rightful owner."

Rider got on her knees to kowtow to the Ruler-Class servant, shocking both Mordred and Shinji. The latter burst out into agitated squeals while wildly flailing about to stop Rider naming her reward.

"As proof of my sincerity, Ruler, one of my command spells shall be your. Please, I have no qualms about getting on my knees when I still have so much to fight for."

"Um, you know that I'm a Ruler-Class servant, and I already have three command spells to order you about, right?"

"Yes, but I need to prove my sincerity by giving something of equivalent value. Getting back to my true master is worth one command spell."

Huh.

"Damnit, Rider! How dare you betray me, you trashy servant!

Sakura told you to obey me, I comm - "

Punching him in the gut, Shinji got the message as his hacking voice gave way to a gasping response.

"G-Grandfather said to destroy the Book of False Attendants, but - "

"Thanks. Rider, the book's in the hallway, near a classroom… 1-C, if I recall. Oh, and can you get Rider to remove this Bounded Field?"

Shinji's frantic hand gesturing had Medusa obeying Mordred's proxy order before disappearing, Mordred witnessing the ignited hatred in Shinji's eyes upon seeing Rider betray her. She almost sensed the disgusting thoughts running through his warped head, probably about having his way with Medusa due to his hormones.

Dammit, Heroic Spirits were people too. Mordred despised people who treated them like useful trash, despite being real or fictitious heroes immortalized in legends.

And despite expecting herself to be boiling with rage like Hercules on ten consecutive bad days, Mordred was instead eerily collected while watching the worm squirm and attempt to escape from her grasp.

Just like that bitch, Celenike who tried to force Astolfo to murder Sieg with her command spells, killing them was a worryingly simple affair of ridding the world of one more scumbag. Mordred had no qualms about unflinchingly laying down the law, becoming judge, jury and executioner.

' _ **Mordred, you're scaring me.'**_

' _You and me both, saint.'_ Damn it, she was getting too into this role as the bad guy of her own story.

"L-Look, I don't have my command spells anymore, I'm a civilian, a-a ci - "

Oh well, murdering a disqualified civilian master _technically_ didn't count as interfering with the War.

' _ **Mordred, no!"**_

Lifting Shinji, Mordred impaled him in the chest.

Showering Clarent and herself in the degenerate blood of whom Mordred had the honor of executing like Celenike. Extracting her sword to let a horrified Shinji feebly double over on the ground, he vainly attempted to stem the blood erupting from his chest wound. He never saw Clarent cleave his head from his neck, causing his limp body to hit the floor while his blood began pooling, the sundered head rolling off somewhere.

To this, Rider said,

"I never liked him anyway."

Mordred stepped away from the blood, an indifferent Rider stepping into the pool of blood without hesitation to approach Mordred.

"I must go. Sakura needs me."

But Mordred felt as if she needed to say something to Rider, disarming the armor cocooning her arm to find another section etched on, indicating the possession of another command spell over Rider.

"Hey, thanks for the command seal. I didn't press you to keep your promise, you did anyway.

I'll do my best not to abuse it, I swear it on my pride as a Knight. Hope your true master is as nicer than, well… "

Looking down at the corpse, Rider hummed in agreement before dashing away and leaving Mordred with bloodied clothes, a corpse and some explaining to do.

And since Shinji's death would be spread throughout the school to hold a funeral for him after Rider's Bounded Field was taken down, lying only delayed the inevitable reveal.

Since Rider's Bounded Field was gone, Mordred detected father's signature and met up with him. And upon spotting Mordred's appearance, Saber's eyes widened in horror at Mordred being nonchalantly stained in blood.

"Bad news, we have a corpse to stitch back together.

Good news, Shinji's not a problem anymore, and I'm wearing red."


	6. Chapter 6 - Notifications

**Author's Note**

 _Just letting everyone know that I'm taking a break from writing fanfics to try my hand at writing an original manga-based light novel._

 _And while I'm certainly not going to completely abandon the stories I've written since I just can't stand leaving a story unfinished, the updates will come much slower, if at all as my priorities change._

 _I won't apologize for my prioritization of creating an original story to test my writing skills over riding on the coattails of an established franchise to garner said franchise's fans, but I will at least apologize for choosing such an awkward timing to start on my original work, especially when I'm deep into working on two fanfics which I've poured my heart into._

 _Sorry._

* * *

"You let Shirou get kidnapped! And by Berserker, of all people?!"

"Silence, Saber!

I was forced to save either Rin or Shirou; I'd naturally save my master over yours!"

"SHUT UP! BOTH OF YOU, JUST SHUT UP!"

That was all Mordred needed to hear to leave the Tohsaka manor, what with Rin becoming distressed over Shirou's kidnapping, Mordred's encounter with Gilgamesh and the cold-blooded murder of Shinji. Father looking ten seconds away from stabbing Archer in the back with Excalibur for failing to protect Shirou.

Archer just looked pissed off at everything as usual.

Walking down the street with headphones on, she detected another servant signature lingering within her range of detection, possessing no intent to fight or harm and convincing Mordred to allow them to get closer without fleeing.

She met Lancer halfway in a park, the servant convincing nearby civilians that he was cosplaying before turning to Mordred and hailing her over.

"Yo, servant, I want to talk. But just to clear the air, you were the one watching me fight Saber in that manor, hm?" Mordred didn't find any harm in nodding, Lancer plastering a knowing grin on his face.

"And I suppose by teaming up with Saber to enter the Bounded Field and having Rider bring it down, you're working with the former?"

"Archer's with us too, so there's that." Lancer tilted his head upon hearing that, training his assessing gaze on Mordred as he remarked,

"Well, if that's the case, maybe you can beat them depending on what class of servant you are…"

"Mordred."

"Hm, I knew it was you whom I sensed that night, but to think you dared to pick a fight with Gilgamesh of all people, Knight of Treachery…"

Mordred shrugged, feeling that Cu Chulainn was the kind who appreciated some modesty.

"Eh…

It wasn't so much 'picking a fight', I just tested how much I could get away with Gilgamesh, he seems to take insults regarding him or his capabilities more personally than simple jabs which his ego can shrug off. You don't become a king with that thin of a skin.

Might I ask how you know of Gilgamesh's existence, Cu Chulainn?"

The Irishman was about to respond, but they were both silenced by faint signatures of Heroic Spirits in the distance.

"We're not alone. Someone's watching."

Looking in the direction of a certain rooftop within their line of sight but was furthest from them, their silence and directed gaze had Saber and a Rin-carrying Archer to arrive at their position, Father glaring daggers at Mordred while arriving at her own conclusions.

"So is this how it is, Mordred?"

But as Mordred opened her mouth to defend herself, Lancer bristled as he lazily swung his Gae Bolg to hold it in between Mordred and the gang to cut in.

"Hold up, this isn't what it looks like. I'm betraying my lowlife of a master, you all have bigger fish to fry.

He thinks I'm on a reconnaissance mission, but with what I'm about to tell you…"

And Mordred rolled her eyes at her comrades, calling them out.

"You all were starting to sound like an abusive family after Shirou was no longer there to play mediator, I couldn't stand being in that manor anymore."

"Ahem." Getting their attention, Cu Chulainn made use of their limited time wisely by starting.

"Kirei Kotomine has two servants: Me, and Gilgamesh.

He killed my original master to add her command seals to his collection, he's also been feeding Gilgamesh with the mana of kids orphaned from the fallout of the inferno caused by the last Holy Grail War."

"What?!"

Rin expressed her horror transparently, Lancer grimacing as he clarified.

"Hey don't fret it. It may be surprising that Kotomine's a master in - "

"No, it's the fact that he's using those orphans; it's inhumane! My intuition warned me never to trust him, but to think that he was capable of _this…"_

Balling her fists while lowering her gaze, Rin was scarily economical with her words as she seethed,

"How do you know of Gilgamesh?"

"Kirei was informed of a Ruler-Class servant's existence…" Lancer pointed at Mordred with Gae Bolg, "thanks to Gilgamesh meeting her while on a stroll.

I was then called in as Kirei announced a change of plans, revealing his trump card servant to me since he expected us to work together in light of Ruler's unexpected appearance. And I figured, why not rat him out and hope for the best?"

"And you'd betray him because…" Archer walked up to Lancer to look him in the eye, machismo pushing them towards a confrontational stare-down as Lancer replied.

"I don't like sneaks and traitors. The fact that he's both, killed my master and stole her command spells gives me all the reason in the world to backstab him."

Lifting his gaze as if recalling something, Cu Chulainn then recounted,

"Oh yeah…

Scouting out unorthodox locations after Kirei's upped his guard, I noticed an expertly concealed presence up at Ryuudou Temple. If you aren't going up there, I heard Kirei discussing about attacking the Temple.

You decide whether to use Gilgamesh to bulldoze your way through enemies, or choose to take the fight whoever's in the Temple."

Finally, Archer looked down at Rin to lay the harsh truth.

"Rin, I'll be honest. There's no way we can take on Gilgamesh, rescue Shirou from Berserker _and_ take on the servant at Ryuudou Temple, even with Saber and Ruler's help.

But the final call is up to you."

Even Saber wore a look of consternation upon facing insurmountable odds, but Archer shot Mordred a 'you-better-know-what-you're-doing' look which she took in stride, Lancer looking around as the sole optimist due to being from a different camp.

"Saber, that chump of a master you have has gotten himself captured, eh?

Want me to have a go at retrieving him? Berserker sure seems strong to give you and Archer hell, and I sure ain't harming a hair that boy when I haven't had my rematch with you, Saber."

But Mordred's mind was racing with the bare bones of a plan forming, playing their enemies against each other to have Team Mordred coming out on top.

"No need.

Berserker's not our enemy, but he isn't our friend either. His master Illya is infatuated with Shiro and is protective of him, but we don't have to extract Shirou from Illya's grasp if we have someone else do it for us.

After all, Shirou likely has a crush on Saber, and there's a certain King who wouldn't like that."

Lancer was confused as Mordred leveled her gaze at him, but he eventually broke out into an understanding grin at manipulating Gilgamesh and actually getting away with it.

* * *

Mordred visited the Kotomine Church as dusk fell.

And although it was a holy place, there was an uncanny air hanging over the church as if a machine studied how best to replicate its homeliness, but lacked its heart and missed the point entirely.

Standing inside Kirei like an evil chancellor with his brooding demeanor, arms held behind him, empty eyes which fixed on Mordred as she entered.

And on a pew sat the King of Heroes.

"So you visit me again, lowlife.

Do you wish to apologize for yesterday's insolence? Know that I will only _consider_ sparing your life if you prostrated before me, mongrel."

To that, Mordred only had this to say,

"No.

But I can give you something better. A love rival underneath your nose to be eliminated." Throwing Shirou's photographs at his feet, Mordred began playing to Gilgamesh's possessiveness.

"This boy named Emiya Shirou is Saber's master."

"Emiya? That name is familiar, although it must be a mongrel's one if I can't be bothered to commit it to memory."

"Emiya Kiritsugu was the master of Saber in the Fourth Holy Grail War," Kirei's succinct statement got the blonde's attention to dredge up memories of the previous war.

"He's dead now, although his adopted son lives on."

"Ah yes, the imbecile who forced Saber to destroy the Grail. _My_ grail. In that case, he shall bear his father's sins of desecrating my Grail."

Gilgamesh was no longer smiling, Mordred looking down at the boy whom she was implicating, knowing that Saber, Archer and Rin were already moving into place in order to break Shirou out while Berserker and Gilgamesh were locked in combat.

"He's connected to her, and from what I see in his hormone-filled eyes, likely in more ways than one the longer they stay together.

Shirou's trapped in the Einzbern Manor, guarded by Berserker. And - "

That was enough to get Gilgamesh off of his seat, giving the stoic Kirei a sideways glance as acknowledgement before resting his gaze on Mordred.

And firing his Gate of Babylon at Mordred.

The Knight of Treachery held her breath, waiting for the end.

Being stabbed was never fun, but after being shafted by Father during the Battle of Camlann, she was used to the pain as she prepared herself for foreign objects puncturing her in the stomach, right palm and left thigh.

Her heart and breathing rate spiked simultaneously as she hunched, taking deep breaths as Mordred kept her trembling and bleeding body stable. Resisting every urge to don her armor and incite more conflict, she glared up at Gilgamesh as he folded his arms.

" _Know this, bitch of Morgan and bastard of Saber._

Whatever machinations you are setting up, they will not work on me. It is by my grace as well as my patience that you are spared for now; your punishment will come much later, _mongrel."_

Looking back at Kirei for any additional input, the priest only had one condition to add in his impending assault on the Einzberns.

"Keep the girl alive, she's our best bet of summoning the Grail for you to recover your rightful possession."

Even in her agony, Mordred noted how Kirei didn't even try to control Gilgamesh and instead reasoned with him, successfully convincing Gilgamesh to make Kirei's life easier in order to advance their mutual interests. Although Kirei's choice of words didn't escape Mordred.

"'Rightful possession'?"

"The Grail is mine, like all treasures that have ever existed. A king mustn't allow anyone to misuse his possessions even if they are lost, so I fight to reclaim my lost property despite lacking wishes to be granted.

Time to mete out divine punishment upon these mongrels."

Gilgamesh strolled out of the Church with the gait of a conqueror, determined to reclaim his rightful belongings. A heavily panting Mordred stayed her hand from touching the weapons to avoid exacerbating her wounds, waiting for Gilgamesh to leave before hobbling out of the Church.

She didn't want to be near the void of a human, named Kotomine Kirei, any longer than necessary.


	7. Chapter 7 - A Clash of Wills

Shirou was getting along well with Illya, especially after finding out that she was related to Kiritsugu and was the sibling he never knew he had.

Of course, Illya had her hulking mass of a hero standing behind her like an overprotective dad, Berserker glaring daggers at Shirou while taking heavy breaths. The fact that they were enemies didn't escape his mind, and although many chided him for being idealistic, he was still trapped in enemy territory with no Saber by his side, and his life was at the mercy of Illya. The albino girl which ordered Berserker to beat Archer and Saber into submission and kill them.

But in spite of that, he could see much of himself in Illya, especially the frustration and loneliness upon Kiritsugu's passing, an event which left a hole in both their hearts and their lives. Illya was the one who arguably had it worse, the Einzberns training and modifying her and training her extensively to be the ultimate mage in order to win a Holy Grail War.

All their lives ruined, and for what? A stupid cup that grants wishes?

He was still trying to wrap his head around having to confront Illya and Rin down the road when the entire mansion ominously shook, Berserker protectively shielding Illya as he growled defensively.

"An intruder, Berserker? Let's go greet them!"

The titan could sense the intrusion on their property and scooped up Illya in its shambling gorilla crawl, and Shirou was forced to follow on foot as Berserker's knowing navigation of the manor showed some level of familiarity with its winding corridors.

A hail of arrows greeted them at the entrance, Berserker shielding Illya while using his sword to deflect most of them. Shirou ducked behind a corner as swords from all ages impaled the tiled ground where he once stood. A blonde entered the scene, arms coolly folded as he relentlessly advanced even in the face of a Berserker who easily took on two servants.

Clad in golden armor, the rain of swords stopped just so that the pompous-looking servant could speak without being interrupted by his attacks drowning his voice out. "Look upon your own death, mongrels. And be glad that I, the King of Heroes, shall bestow upon you mongrels the highest honor of being your executioner tonight."

"T-The King of Heroes, Gilgamesh?! Berserker, protect me and onii-chan!"

Berserker didn't sound pleased with that last part, but gave a mighty roar which cracked the earth beneath him in his bestial war cry, Shirou watching on and debating the pros and cons of using one command spell to force-summon Saber and beat Gilgamesh.

Berserker seemed more than capable of handling this servant. However, this was one Heroic Spirit who invaded an enemy's territory alone, not even looking afraid or even hesitant about taking on Berserker mano-a-mano on his home turf.

However, a barrage of arrows targeted Gilgamesh, forcing the blonde to relocate himself whilst using his own rain of swords to intercept some of them, Archer interrupting the fight with Saber and Rin at the ready.

"I vote for a stay of execution."

Shirou had never liked Archer much due to their clash of ideals, but was he glad to see that the cavalry had arrived, Saber rushing over to his aid while tensing up with Excalibur drawn for the inevitable showdown. The thing was that Gilgamesh was still not backing down from their increment in numbers, his smug expression now contorted into a grimace directed towards him and Saber. "Saber, must you make things difficult for me by associating and allying yourself with these peasants and mongrels in our meetings?"

Saber certainly felt many things towards the King of Heroes, none of them pleasant in the least as she helped Shirou to his feet and wryly responded. "Gilgamesh. I had wished never to see you again, and it seems you have transcended the workings of the summoning system and remain tethered to this world. Pray tell, how exactly did you accomplish it?"

"The mud from the last Grail War granted me a human body, and to conserve energy, I took on the form of a child. A tedious life story then ensued, one which I cannot deign to recite to and bore you. Now, join me or I slaughter everyone here, Saber."

"Do not ask me questions you know the answer to, Gilgamesh. I kneel to no man, least of all, _you."_ The King of Heroes wasn't exactly surprised, but his malice was then directed towards Shirou as he spat.

"But _he's_ certainly captured your heart, yes? To think that you'd fall in love with a mongrel… how far you've fallen, Saber." But Shirou couldn't let this assault on Saber slide, stepping up to the plate and giving the servant a piece of his mind.

"Hey! Saber will never bow to you for eternity so long as you see her as a possession to be acquired, because she doesn't belong to you!" This got Gilgamesh's attention like a speck of dirt gathering one's passing curiosity. "I suppose even cowards can exhibit courage in the face of death. Although you use Saber to fight your battles, so using such powerful and defiant words only serve to make your weakness more apparent, mongrel."

Shirou grimaced at the blonde making a valid point about him not even being a certified mage to even support Saber in combat despite summoning her, instead choosing to focus his attention to his servant and express his gratitude.

"Saber, thanks for coming to my rescue." But Saber had no time to appreciate his words, her warrior's side flaring up in preparation for a trying battle ahead while answering him as best she could. "Shirou, when we're distracting Gilgamesh, I want you to run.

Find us a way out of this manor, and get back to our base. Don't give me any lip about being able to contribute in our fight against Gilgamesh. I cannot guarantee your safety while fighting him.

Trust me when I say he has good reason to be confident in a 3 versus 1 situation, even against Berserker." The use of 'distracting' instead of 'fighting' from someone like Saber worried Shirou, his protests dying in his throat.

From Saber, whose strength and stoicism was strained in the face of facing perhaps their most powerful opponent yet, Shirou swallowed the bitter taste in his mouth upon comprehending his own weakness, acquiescing with a resolute nod to give Saber some peace of mind.

* * *

Mordred's wounds weren't closing fast enough, and she was thankful for wearing clothes which covered more than her original timeline's clothes, giving her more material to work with when hastily making a tourniquet.

Jeanne was her guardian angel, talking her through the motions to prevent her from attempting to power through while fueled by sheer willpower and realistically die from exsanguination on her way to the Einzbern Manor.

Passing through wrecked gates, the huffing Mordred spotted Archer, Berserker, Father and Rin engaging Gilgamesh in combat, taking cover from his endless torrent of weapons as the King of Heroes stood up front and center in the front yard.

"All of you mongrels… you are all equally beneath me! I will not deign to move an inch from where I stand, and yet seek to bathe this manor in the blood of all who rise up against me!

A blasphemous act, in which a resplendent death by my hand is more than you'll ever deserve in a thousand lifetimes!" Fuck, did this asshole get off on his own voice, or what?

With Saber standing beyond Gilgamesh, Mordred approached the pandemonium from behind before arming and preparing herself.

Line them both up, and batter up.

" _CLARENT BLOOD ARTHUR!"_

Mordred made sure that this Noble Phantasm was filled with enough mana to kill, the flaring up of mana attracting Gilgamesh's attention as he threw a backwards glance towards Mordred. But by standing in between Mordred and Artoria, he couldn't allow his 'beloved' to be injured as he was engulfed by the Noble Phantasm.

And promptly cleaved it with something popping into his hand, Mordred evading the deflected and dissipating energy of her Clarent Blood Arthur. The dust then settled on Gilgamesh holding a weapon resembling a lance, now downright apoplectic at Mordred's insolence. "You… you _wench!_

Not only do you sully Saber's image by being an inferior offspring, you dare to strike me from behind and force me to unsheathe Ea… your insolence knows no bounds! An eternity of damnation with all my creative reserves directed towards perpetuating your everlasting torment will still be letting you off easy!"

Damn, he was charging up something powerful while keeping his Gate of Babylon activated to distract everyone else, while Mordred was still reeling from the injuries from Gilgamesh's retaliatory swing of Ea and was winded from unleashing her Noble Phantasm.

"I will take great care to incapacitate you, mongrel. For death is a luxury you shall be denied the luxury of experiencing as long as your blasphemy goes unpunished.

 _ENUMA ELISH!"_ But before Gilgamesh could unleash Ea's wrath on Mordred in a concentrated divine beam, Father jumped before Mordred and forced Gilgamesh to redirect his Noble Phantasm towards the Einzbern manor, destroying an entire manor wing as Saber defiantly protected her son. Something which ticked the King of Heroes off to no end.

"Damn you, Saber. Your contemptible mongrel of a child just put your life in danger, and you still deign to shield her from my Noble Phantasm without even raising Excalibur? Have you gone mad?!" Mordred could see the fear in the slight tremble plaguing Saber's body and limbs, especially since she was likely familiar with Gilgamesh going all-out in a rampage which caused the Fuyuki City Fire.

And yet, her Father faced his nemesis regally, his spirit and voice never wavering while raising his head as a king addressing another king. "And a brilliant move it was, Mordred.

She forced you to draw Ea, and while you may be a competent king and contemptible person, I at least believed in you to protect me. The one good thing to come out of your obsession with me." Debris and rubble collapsed behind them after the building was ravaged by Ea's Enuma Elish. With Hercules and Emiya surrounding Gilgamesh, he was outnumbered.

But not outmatched in his warped, megalomaniacal mind.

"Hmhm. I see now, with the both of you side by side. Insolence runs in the family and is no stranger to independence, the both of you exemplifying either trait while possessing traces of the other.

To think you'd use me to break Saber's mongrel master out of the Einzbern manor and allow him to escape… Perhaps there may be more to you than it seems, Knight of Treachery."

And with the ruse being blown sky-high, Illya snapped out of her confusion to spot the missing redhead in the midst of the chaos on her property. "Ah, where's onii-chan?! Berserker, chase Shirou down!"

But before the titan could move, an arc of light fired from Excalibur to split the land and cut Hercules off, Saber now looking far too serene when her master's life was threatened. "Know that you will incur my wrath if you are to pursue Shirou any further, Einzbern-san."

"Ah! Ruler-chan, you tricked me! Berserker, pulverize her, and _then_ find onii-chan!" The Gate impaled the ground between Hercules and the Arthurian duo, Gilgamesh resuming his haughty arm-folding as he accomplished the feat of looking down his nose at a taller Heroic Spirit. He protected what he saw as a treasure to procure, even though Saber was defending his greatest detractor. "And know that if you harm a hair on Saber, I shall erase you with my Gate of Babylon.

Not a shred of evidence regarding your existence shall remain, and I will proceed to exterminate your siblings and descendants to wipe out your bloodline. Saber is quite willing to defend that scoundrel called his son on the floor. That mongrel has slighted me far too many times for me to let her off the hook, and should you incur Saber's wrath by attacking Mordred, know that I will not let you steal my prey away from me."

Archer then pointed his bow at Illya in a Mexican standoff between Team Mordred, Gilgamesh and Hercules. "Don't you get the wrong idea, girl. We're here to rescue Shirou, not necessarily save you from Gilgamesh." And even though he maintained his stoic demeanor, Mordred saw that it was a bluff to railroad Illya into focusing on Gilgamesh.

But the King of Heroes exhaled, losing interest in the interaction taking place. "Enough of this farce. I tire of this charade of shifting alliances between mongrels; perhaps it would be more interesting to retreat and watch you all kill each other off?" And with that, Archer shifted his drawn bow to point in Gilgamesh's direction, aimed right at his head.

"And would it be more entertaining if we all were to unleash our Noble Phantasms on you, King of Heroes?" The Gate of Babylon then materialized behind Gilgamesh, intending to slice through the mounting tension between them.

"I'd like to see you try, _mongrel."_

But after staring each other down with neither servant budging an inch or blinking to concede defeat, Berserker finally broke the stalemate by jumping Gilgamesh, inexplicably evading Ea's Enuma Elish in mid-air before crashing down where Gilgamesh previously stood. As Ea split the clouds across Fuyuki City to reveal the crescent moon, Gilgamesh stood atop the manor to gain the high ground before unleashing his Gate of Babylon, Berserker deflecting dozens of fired weapons but gaining damage via death of a thousand cuts.

Archer backed Berserker up as Saber retreated while supporting a limping Mordred, Rin alternating between firing the odd magical beam to cover Archer and healing Mordred's wounds. Shirou doubled back somewhere in the midst of their escape from the Einzbern Manor to guide them out, Enuma Elish meeting Father's fired Excalibur arc to reshape the manor's terrain two more times before the King of Heroes lost track of them.

It was safe to assume that Hercules had lost several lives in staving off the brunt of Gilgamesh's assault, and even though Mordred was permanently on Gilgamesh's shit list, at least they knew that Ea existed. And after using Enuma Elish multiple times, even Gilgamesh had to exercise some restraint lest he drain himself prematurely and draw the wrath of Team Mordred and whatever servants were out there.

Damn, she'd kill to have anyone from the Red or Black faction with her, especially Shishigou or even have Jeanne materialize and fight alongside her, to convince that she hadn't simply hallucinated the Greater Grail War and was slowly going insane.

Wait, but she was in a different timeline. So even if they put the band back together, they wouldn't recognize her or remember their experiences in her original timeline, defeating the purpose of her gathering them.

Motherf… why did everything have to be so complicated?

Those were the last thoughts running through an exhausted Mordred's mind before passing out, the knight out of time too fatigued to deal with her wounds, mana exhaustion, juggling several servants and factions in her mind and dealing with the sheer loneliness of time-travel, Jeanne excluded.


	8. Interlude

Shirou started awake upon finishing a dream sequence of a perfect, yet lonely king losing control of her kingdom, recognizing it as Saber's past life. He exited his guest bedroom in Rin's manor which they temporarily stayed in out of convenience.

"Saber? _Saber!"_

The unfamiliar corridors impeded his progress in locating Saber, but his servant burst out of a door with a concerned look, exiting the room which Mordred laid, unconscious.

"Shirou, what's wrong?"

"Saber, I had a dream. You were a king, drawing Excalibur and building an empire to serve and protect everyone."

Shirou kept mum about the follow-up dream, recalling a devastated Kiritsugu scooping Shirou out of the debris and saving him during the Fuyuki City Fire. It was a personal experience he'd like to keep close to his chest for awhile longer.

Calming Saber down, as they walked back to his room, Shirou was ecstatic to find the parallels between himself and Saber.

"Saber, we have more in common than we thought. I think you were by far the closest to embodying Kiritsugu's ideals of a Hero of Justice - " Shirou missed the consternation plaguing Saber's face upon hearing Kiritsugu's name, the servant unable to reconcile Kiritsugu's cold demeanor and utilitarian outlook with the fervent enthusiasm he instilled in Shirou.

" - and I realized, I now want to be like you. Where I'm strong enough to carry everyone's burdens - "

"And did you see that ended, Shirou? My homeland being laid to waste by its own people, my materialized ideals in the form of my empire falling apart around me. My subjects killing each other or attempting to kill me in our clash of ideals, these ideals ending up being the death of everyone.

… I apologize, Shirou. But as your senior, I need to educate you on what it means to embody an ideal." The air between them cooled, Shirou feeling confused with Saber's sudden emotional outburst as they sat side-by-side on the bed.

"Shirou, look at me. Just because an ideal is perfect means that it's practical.

Upon pulling out Excalibur, I became a perfect king. But nobody wanted that, as I became both morally and emotionally unrelatable, even alien. Mordred exemplified that sentiment when confronting me with our revealed paternal bond, and her claim to inheritance.

In that scenario, any response would be flawed. The ideal response would be to remain silent, since no mistakes are made if no responses are given. However, with the benefit of hindsight, I would have invariably preferred to give Mordred an answer to assuage her concerns."

Mordred?

"B-But didn't she betray you to take the crown?"

"Certainly, but it was for reasons which were entirely my fault. I'd become perfectly selfless to serve my kingdom, but can you comprehend a perfect being?

A king with nonexistent flaws, her decisions void of emotion to coldly rely on logic and idealism to rule and flourish, but emotionlessness lends itself to inhumanity.

I never shed a tear for the fallen or got angry at betrayal, since to show emotion was weakness." Shirou furrowed his eyebrows, unsure of where this was leading but not liking how it sounded one bit.

"With that, the greatest threat came from within as my people were alienated, and thus betrayed me.

And Mordred…"

Shirou genuinely felt Saber's sadness upon dredging up painful memories of family turning on family, taking place in the grander tragedy of a kingdom's downfall.

"She called out to me as her parent, I ignored her as a king.

Even towards the end, I turned my back on Mordred as we exchanged blows, and she reached for my back until her dying breath. I had all the qualities of a king, but none of them told me what to do as a parent.

To turn away my own child even now, what kind of father am I?"

No offense to Saber, but that sounded like pretty bad parenting. Shirou wasn't one, but anyone would be forgiven for ending up with daddy issues because of it, as Mordred displayed in spades.

"Is Mordred going to be an obstacle? You know, since she's antagonistic towards you?"

"Possibly, veering on 'yes'. Especially since she's … mad about my wish." Shirou confusedly tilting his head convinced Saber to open her heart to Shirou.

"My wish… is to erase my rule, and by extension all my mistakes from existence. And before you say anything, Shirou, I know that it might not be right to wish myself away, Mordred has already lambasted me on everything wrong about my wish.

Mordred told me she never once regretted serving under me, in spite of my mistakes and downfall. And for a while, I thought _'all the more I should have someone worthier to become king'_ , but I finally came across a revelation."

Shirou, looking into Saber's eyes, discerned the pain and struggles she had to go through and endure. Even though they left their scars, they made her stronger in spite of all her lingering regrets.

"Regrets, I possess in spades. But I'm trying to accept them as par for the course. Everything I wish I could have done better, I try to apply it in my current life to be closer to everyone, instead of remaining distant.

I no longer have a kingdom or throne, so I want to better understand everyone around me to be a better king - nay, a better person, by exploring my emotions. Not every bond is waiting to be exploited, not every show of emotion is a sign of weakness." Saber's regal image softened into a more soft-spoken one, reaching out to Shirou with a bare palm void of her battle armor.

"Shirou, take it from me.

Perfection's a curse. And although it is good to be idealistic, please, always remember to allow some level of realism into your life. I fear the disappointment, regrets and despair which might plague you at the end of that road, should things end badly.

Sacrificing yourself to save others is noble, but impractical since we all have one life. And there needs to be some level of restraint so that you can live on, Shirou.

If not for Sakura-san and Taiga-san, do it for me."

All these points flying in the face of his ideals, and he had nary a counterargument to protect them from criticism.

Sensing his hesitation, Saber clamped his head between her palms, expressing genuine concern for his well-being not as her master, but as a respectable young man with so much more to experience and live for.

"Shirou, by your definition, the ideal Hero of Justice is a dead Hero of Justice.

We need you. Not your service or your sacrifice, _you._

Dying for everyone does nothing but leave an indelible stain in their lives, the ultimate act of self-sacrificial heroism leaving a shadow over their lives as they feel indebted to a corpse. Such a reckless lifestyle, which prioritizes others above yourself, will mean nothing when you're dead in the end."

Respecting Saber's experiences enough to seriously consider her points while empathizing with Saber's desire for him to avoid making her mistakes, Shirou accepted her advice. Even though he disliked others challenging his ideals of being a Hero of Justice.

"I'll… I'll think about it. But Saber, such aspirations can never be realized without strength. So I was hoping… if you could train me to become stronger.

I don't want to be a burden to you. And although I disagree with your wish, I still want to win with you while helping you think of another wish." Saber broke out into a relieved smile upon witnessing his determination, encouragingly placing a hand on his palm on the bed.

"Yes.

You will leave the tougher battles and enemy servants to me, but I'll at least make sure you possess some knowledge of self-defense.

Thank you, Shirou."


	9. Chapter 8 - Cloak And Dagger

_**Author's Notes**_

 _Thanks to ffure21 for proofreading my chapters, I'm just here to comment that Heaven's Feel opening was so sick, I'm replaying it and downloading the song, Another Heaven._

* * *

Mordred waking up in the Tohsaka manor was a palpable relief, meaning they hadn't been wiped out by Gilgamesh yet. She looked around to find Father next to her bed, face-down on her forearms and sleeping soundly.

Had Father been waiting for Mordred to wake up the entire time?

She'd certainly taxed herself when fending off Gilgamesh, if the bandages wrapped around her torso and arms were any indication. But to see Father looking so relaxed…

Always poised and regal as a king, Father's sleeping face revealed a vulnerable side, free from worries or stress.

' _Well, this isn't so bad.'_

' _ **I'll say, Mordred-san. You had me worried when you were unconscious for two days.'**_ Hearing Jeanne's voice was also a relief, looking down to find her command spells peeking through her bandages.

 _'That long, huh? I guess fighting Gilgamesh hurt me more than I thought.'_

Lying back to ruminate on the situation while keeping Father in her peripheral vision, Mordred was still conflicted about the mandated patricide.

' _Saint, do I_ really _have to kill Father? I mean, I wanted the chance to lift Caliburn, but to think I'd have to do it above father's corpse…'_ A spot in Mordred's mind dimmed as Jeanne's spirits similarly sank.

' _ **Well, you wanted the chance to pull Caliburn out through your own merits, not have the Greater Grail do it for you.**_

 _ **I respect that.**_

 _ **However, for the Grail to grant you the chance, Saber-san has to die. I'm sorry, but… I think your wish doomed Saber-san in this timeline. The Grail**_ **will** _**ensure Saber-san's death to produce Caliburn for you. Whether you succeed, fail, or even walk away is irrelevant.'**_

Cue facepalm, a bitter knot lodging itself in Mordred's throat. Already fucking up before arriving, becoming a slave to fate conspiring to fulfill Mordred's wish in the most sadistic manner possible.

Would Father even survive this war, even if Mordred succeeded in staying her blade?

' _Saint, do you think I can successfully kill myself are if I unload Clarent Blood Arthur into myself?'_

' _ **That's suicide, it's a sin to deny God's gift of life - '**_

' _Woman, I am being railroaded by fate into killing Father to fulfill the Greater Grail's plans. If you're right, I'd rather sacrifice myself than kill Father as the Grail mandates, to live on with the knowledge that Father's death was all because of my misinterpreted wish._

 _I'm nobody's bitch. If I'm damned to go to hell for murder or suicide, I choose to go out in a way which'd spit in the Greater Grail's face for trying to control me.'_

' _ **Um, well, I don't have a response to that; I'll get back to you.'**_

Sighing as Mordred's head plopped back into the pillow, she tried to look on the bright side of things.

The sun was shining. The manor decor was impressive. A hooded figure, draped in black, blended in with the canopy bed's roof. The iridescent glint of a dagger was reflected -

" _FATHER!"_

Saber's eyes flew open, battle-hardened reflexes complementing past experiences in dealing with assassins to evade the descending dagger. Mordred similarly bolted from the bed, Excalibur and Clarent promptly drawn. And although a paltry knife couldn't measure up to Arthurian swords, Mordred was on edge upon realizing who the attacker was.

"Bloody hell, you act too much like an Assassin for a Caster, _Medea."_

That revelation got Medea's attention, Saber narrowing her eyes at the cloaked figure's identity and possible abilities.

"Hey, you got a pretty cool moniker, 'The Witch of Betrayal'. I'm in the same boat too, what with my 'Knight of Treachery' nickname."

Caster's hood was draped over her eyes, but Mordred's liked to imagine Medea's eye twitching as her demeanor hardened, connecting the dots and discerning Mordred's identity but not her class.

"Hm, indeed. I'd originally planned to capture Saber, but it appears that you, Mordred, are a valuable servant as well.

Relatable and powerful… enough," Mordred raised a middle finger. Medea's voice became mirthful, "and quite the rebel. If I captured you, Mordred, much … domestication will be needed.

On that note…"

Lunging forward with the dagger, Clarent met thin air as Medea dissipated into smoke and materialized behind Mordred. Ominously whispering,

 _"Rule Breaker."_

Mordred almost felt cold steel kissing her skin before Father swung Excalibur at Caster, forcing her to teleport behind Father to insistently try and stab somebody with that accursed dagger.

"Father, do _not_ let her stab you with that dagger! She'll gain control over you with her Rule Breaker!" With father and son watching each other's back while Medea vanished, her voice was projected into their ears like the omnipresent whispers of a temptress.

"Knight, you do love to run that lovely mouth of yours.

To reveal a woman's secrets like that… The first order of things upon your capture is to sew those lips shut."

" _Fuck you."_

The door was breached and burst towards a teleporting Medea, Archer moving in to unload arrows at the gathering mass of shadows. Rin entered second, firing Gandr shots to keep Caster moving, Shirou entering last while brandishing a Reinforced pole.

"Friends of yours, Mordred?" Rin blinked at how Caster knew Mordred's true name, recalling how casually Mordred treated her identity's secrecy.

 _"What?!_ Why would you introduce your true name to every damn servant you meet, Mordred?!"

"Hey, who's the Heroic Spirit here?! Not you, so sod off!"

Ominously appearing behind Rin, Caster evaded a Gandr shot as Rin was pulled into Medea's teleportation, Saber missing them by a split second.

Reappearing to have Shirou take a swing at Caster's back, he froze as Caster used Rin as a meat shield, making sure her back wasn't exposed to anyone. With Rule Breaker at Rin's writhing neck, Caster threw Rin at Archer.

Archer caught Rin, allowing Caster to teleport behind him. And while there was enough time for Archer to react, their eyes need only meet for Mordred to realize his plan.

"No!" With Archer allowing Rule Breaker to strike him, Medea's sly grin grew as she evaded Excalibur's swing before giving orders to her new servant.

"Take her hostage." Archer summoned Kanshou and held Rin at knifepoint while Mordred, Saber and Shirou were forced to watch the trio retreat.

"Oh, well. I was hoping to either catch Saber or Mordred, but no plan survives first contact with the enemy. Let's make haste, Archer." A feisty Rin struggled as best she could against a servant's super-strength.

"Damn it! Archer, I com - "

Holding up her hand to find her command spells missing, Rin blanched from what this meant as Medea displayed her stolen command spells.

"I'm afraid he no longer obeys you, my dear. My Rule Breaker has ensured that.

Now, be a good girl, and - " a point-blank Gandr shot forced Medea to dissipate, hitting the walls while Rin's Reinforced elbow struck Archer in the gut.

Wriggling out of Archer's grip while evading Kanshou, Rin rolled away only to be caught by Medea, although an incoming Clarent forced Medea to teleport them both away.

Rin was applying pressure to the bleeding slit which Archer unwittingly inflicted during her attempted escape, defiantly struggling until Archer knocked her out with a neck chop.

"Urgh, we had to catch one which puts up a fight…" Caster's derisive comment was rebutted with the only other possible candidate.

"When the alternative is _him…"_ Archer gave Shirou a condescending glare, " … it'd be a lose-lose either way." Replacing Rin's hand slipping from her neck wound, Medea lightheartedly sneered.

"Feeling sentimental for your previous master, Archer?"

"A dead hostage is useless to us."

Caster acquiesced at Archer's valid point, teleporting them all out before Shirou used his makeshift weapon to strike the space which they once occupied.

"Damn!" Shirou turned to Mordred, his boiling anger at a friend's death erupting at the most inconvenient of moments.

"You! You didn't have to kill Shinji, he didn't deserve to die! He was my friend, and - " He was promptly introduced to Mordred's right fist, hitting the floor as Father defensively walled Mordred off.

Mordred pointed out, "The asshole was willing to drain the school of its mana to fuel his servant. Besides, Rider didn't like him anyway, since she chose not to intervene. She's with her real master now, some girl called Sakura."

"Sakura?! She's a master, too?" Instead of providing him relief, the concern on Shirou and Saber's faces meant trouble, since they clearly knew her. Dropping his pole while grasping at clumps of his hair, Shirou tried to comprehend just how many people he knew were involved.

"I don't get it. Rin, Illya, Sakura, Kiritsugu, even Shinji…

All of us had our lives ruined, and for what? Some stupid wish-granting device?" Shirou was visibly distraught due to the series of unfortunate events, Mordred closer to whisper to Father.

"We're mobilizing _tonight,"_ and stomped out of the wrecked room, pondering over their battle plan.

Lancer _did_ say that the Ryuudou Temple had a Heroic Spirit's signature hiding there in his recon missions…

* * *

For some reason, as Mordred and Father made their way to Ryuudou Temple, Lancer had appeared to help take down Caster's crew.

"Hey, hey, I know this seems sketchy as all hell, but I'm here under orders to help take down any and all servants residing up at Ryuudou Temple."

Yep, sketchy as hell. _Especially_ when his master was Kirei Kotomine.

An unexpected roadblock was a new servant stood on the temple's steps. Lancer himself seemed confused with his,

"You're a new addition. Let me guess, Assassin?" Assassin nodded reverently, standing in their path to command their attention.

"My name is Sasaki Kojiro, an Assassin-Class servant. I am not so foolish to take all of you on, and my so-called master is of a rather unsavory nature. So please, I shall only take one of you on, and the rest of you may proceed."

Team Mordred was confused by the servant's behavior, Mordred voicing their sentiments with a raised eyebrow.

"Hey, I thought servants would try to keep their identities secret."

Assassin shrugged nonchalantly at the revelation while Mordred ignored Father's aside glance, Assassin raising his absurdly long katana to revel in its workmanship.

"There are no secrets between us. I have no wish to distract you with questions regarding my identity. All I seek is a great battle.

Come now, which of you will step up to the plate?"

Mordred offered herself up as a volunteer.

"Maybe I should - "

"No. I will do battle with him."

Father stepped up with Excalibur in hand. Similarly ignoring Mordred's concerned gaze, Lancer and Mordred passed by Assassin before the duo engaged in combat.

* * *

The second roadblock was Archer.

Lancer was all too eager to take him on. With his lance swung down, Lancer swaggered forth while nodding towards the temple up ahead.

"You've got yourself a witch to slay, Ruler. If what you say about Caster is true, and she stabs you with Rule Breaker with all your command spells at her disposal, my Gae Bolg is definitely going through your heart.

Besides … we have an unfinished fight to settle. Yooo ~ " Despite maintaining his cool, Archer clearly wasn't keen on seeing and having to fight Lancer again.

"We meet again, Archer. You under the witch's spell?"

"Correct."

Thinking about it, Archer likely planned to fight Father or Mordred to have the upper hand, and Lancer's participation came out of left field.

"Archer, I ain't holding back this time. A lass has been kidnapped, and my master orders me to do whatever it takes to save her." Archer merely sneered at the 'charity', the cynical servant retorting.

"Don't think I believe your master, Kirei, did this 'out of the goodness of his heart' for a second." Lancer admitted his master's it with a shrug, but readied Gae Bolg.

"Oh well, orders are orders. Are you gonna get in our way?"

Summoning Kanshou and Bakuya, Archer threw Lancer's words back at him.

"' _Orders are orders.' You shall not pass."_ The air filling with the duo's killing intent, Lancer looking ecstatic to have this fight.

"Alright! Looks like we get to have that round two after all, _Archer!"_

That was all Mordred heard before running out of hearing range, the sounds of battle scarring the battlefield as Mordred raced towards Caster's supposed location.

* * *

Elsewhere, as Archer tanked a thrown Gae Bolg with Rho Aias, Caster experienced a dizzy spell as Kuzuki supported her, cursing how that last move drained her.

' _Damn that Archer! That protection spell took a toll on my mana reserves just to keep him materialized! I have to cut him loose, lest he depletes my mana!'_

"What's the matter? Air too thin for you up here?" Mordred was certain that mountain-quaking move tied into Caster's sudden fatigue, since even her monstrous mana pool was heavily taxed by whatever Archer pulled out of his ass.

"Don't patronize me, Mordred. As I said, I shall win this Holy Grail War for myself and Kuzuki-sama!"

'Kuzuki-sama', and without any trace of sarcasm? What was this?

Caster noted something beyond Mordred's immediate vicinity.

"I see Assassin has failed to beat Saber." Making a slight movement while a servant's signature faded, Caster was intoxicatingly smug in her superiority.

"He's of no more use to me."

"Wow, ruthless of you. Not that I'm one to talk, just saying." Sneering and taking Mordred's remark as a compliment, Caster turned the spotlight back onto Mordred.

"Mordred, you're a Ruler-Class servant, no?

I suspected it when you recognized me with one glance. The command tattoos were a dead giveaway, but I must admit, it took me awhile to arrive at my conclusion, especially since you weren't the most… appropriate choice of servants.

It matters not why you appeared, only that I already know how to obtain the Grail. I only need a source of enormous magical output, and Saber shall suffice."

Come the _fuck_ on, what was up with all these freaks obsessing over Father?

' _ **Aren't you technically one of them, Mordred?'**_

' _Not now!'_

"The Grail is really a means of accessing Akasha, and - "

"Yeah, no. I'm gonna stop you right there and ask you to skip ahead. What the hell's your real goal?"

"To gain a mortal body and be with Kuzuki-sama. He sees me for who I am, and we are united in our love.

 _Nothing_ will stand in my way, not even you, Ruler." Something about her motif of betrayal and the betrayal of that motif to remain loyal. A shady character who utilizes sneak attacks whose shady and haughty demeanor hides a genuine love for some guy…

Medea really reminded Mordred of Semiramis, especially where they offered her a chance to join the 'winning side', and Mordred refusing to bend her knee to Assassin of Red.

That was _not_ beneficial to Medea's odds of survival, and her neck was looking really choppable right now…

Kuzuki simply cut to the chase with a firm ultimatum,

"Enough of this, Medea. Are you with us or against us, Ruler?" Mordred could respect that, giving an equally serious answer.

"No. The Holy Grail will screw your wish up one way or another, and I've no use for the Grail as a Ruler anyway." That answer had Medea scoffing at her pessimistic assumptions, seemingly without credibility.

"What would you know, Mordred?"

' _Oh, if only you knew, Caster…'_

With both sides stating their opposing views with no chance of a compromise, there was only conflict left to resolve their differences.

"As long as I avoid attacking you, you are rule-bound to only spectate. However, those command spells you have as Ruler are rather tempting…"

"So… we gonna fight, or what?"

"Yes, I suppose we are."

Caster returned Mordred's battle-hungry grin with a devious slasher smile, deflecting Caster's fired energy beams with Clarent while Mordred constructed her helmet.

A blur shot forth, a strike to Mordred's helmet shooting out faster than she could perceive. The blow dented Mordred's helmet, leaving her reeling.

"Kuzuki-sama, you're hurt. You should stand back, let me - "

"No, Medea. If this servant is worth going all-out for, I shall fight alongside you to grant an opening for your Rule Breaker. Reinforce my body, and back me up."

Caster acquiesced.

Mordred watched the master known as Souichirou Kuzuki charge her, his hardened eyes of a trained killer belying his unassuming getup.

Trying to hit him was like hitting a winding snake, elusive yet swift, his expressionless demeanor hiding coiled ferocity only decades of training could instill. Add how Caster buffed Kuzuki's body to give him a fighting chance, Mordred was hard-pressed to win this close-quarters battle.

Caster spammed magical beams from behind to keep Mordred moving, providing long-range support to Kuzuki's close-range attacks. The occasional Rule Breaker slipped in from the materializing shadows to strike Mordred's blind spot, but she managed to evade these stabs at the expense of Kuzuki punishing her.

Damn, the man's hands were bloodied and raw, how could he still pound away at Mordred's armored suit to hurt her? Breaking off the engagement by putting some distance between them, Mordred consulted the one ally she always had.

' _Jeanne, what do you think the odds are that Caster has Assassin on a leash by using one command spell?'_

' _ **Well, seeing Assassin's cavalier attitude towards Caster, it's possible. But I - '**_

Mordred didn't have the time or patience to play Caster's cat-and-mouse games, since Rule Breaker striking her once meant game over.

Time for an all-in bet, then.

"Assassin, by my three command spells, kill Caster with your Noble Phantasm." That surely came out of left field for Caster, who retorted by holding up her command spells while sporting a scowl.

"Assassin, I command you, do not follow Ruler's comm - "

Only to realize her two command spells failed to fully belay Mordred's three command-spell-powered order. The counter-order still went through with the two command tattoos dissolving, but there was _something_ moving at breakneck speed towards them.

With Caster's one command spell enforcing obedience from Assassin, Caster had to fully expand it to break Mordred's last comma -

" … and with my three command spells, Caster, do _not_ block or evade Assassin's Noble Phantasm."

Brute force.

It was all Mordred ever had, and all she ever used to overwhelm her opponents.

Mordred was already charging up another Clarent Blood Arthur despite her aching body screaming at her to even dare to do so, wounds threatening to reopen in the fallout of their battle.

Even without Mordred eyeing Kuzuki, Caster already predicted Mordred's thoughts, since Kuzuki was a means to get to her. Birds of a treacherous feather tended to think along the same train of thoughts.

And so did Kuzuki.

He yelled, "With all my command spells, Medea, evade and save yourself!"

No time.

With Mordred's order nullified, Caster jumped in front of Kuzuki before activating every conceivable defensive spell, Kojiro speeding in with three simultaneous sword strikes flying true alongside an aflame Clarent.

" _Tsubame Gaeshi!"_

 _"Clarent Blood Arthur!"_

Everything went to hell after that.

As the dust settled, Mordred felt the Noble Phantasm's withdrawal punishing her weakened body for her brash usage. But Caster and Kuzuki were worse off, absolutely annihilated after tanking two simultaneous Noble Phantasms.

With her hood and part of her cape destroyed, Caster's revealed beauty was marred by splotches of blood which was likely not only hers, since Kuzuki was mortally injured despite Caster's best efforts.

Her bloodstained fairy ears twitched. Anger, confusion, agony and fear were all evident in her prominent gaze as she exclaimed.

"I-I thought - "

" _YOU THOUGHT WRONG!"_ Slashing down with Clarent, Caster instinctively used what she had on hand to defend themselves…

Namely, Rule Breaker.

Sadly, moving sword beats stationary dagger, Clarent shattering like glass and crushing any remaining hopes of a comeback in her wide doe-eyes. Disbelievingly looking down at the pieces once making up her weapon, Medea shakily reached out for the shattered dagger shards, but Kuzuki's shaky palm stopped her.

Assassin's injury was nauseating to look at, his heart having exploded while his ribcage protruded from his opened chest. And yet Kojiro stood amongst them, as if the wound was but a scratch.

"What is this? I find my dying self compelled to move by a command spell, and here I am, looking upon Caster and her master.

Kuzuki-san."

With Kojiro nodding respectfully in his proxy master's direction, Medea weakly spat, only to come off as a last-resort defiance while clinging onto Kuzuki like a piece of flotsam in a storm.

"Are you happy… _Assassin?_ To see me in such a state, after how I've treated you…" In spite of his prior attitude towards Caster, Assassin surprised everyone with his response.

"Actually, no.

I find myself reassessing my image of you. To think that you'd willingly throw yourself under the bus for your own master…

You utilize repulsive and arcane magic which complements your shady nature, both of which I utterly despise, as well as…" Gesturing to his destroyed heart, Assassin's gaze contained something resembling admiration towards Caster's sacrifice.

" … but I might just find it within me to reassess my view of you as a person.

To die for oneself is nothing special. To die in selfless protection of another, however…" As a mythical swordsman, such actions were likely considered the epitome of loyal service to one's master.

"Hm, is that so? Kuzuki-sama, am I… the dreaded Witch of Betrayal… becoming soft?"

"Only for me, Medea. And my heart does the same for you."

"Hm… perhaps we shall meet again in our next life, Kuzuki… sam…"

Kuzuki allowed Caster to fade away into golden particles, lifted away by the wind into the night like fluorescent cicada tails. Feebly clutching his emptied hand, Kuzuki despondently lowered his head as someone with nothing left to lose, even Assassin was silenced by Caster's passing.

"Ashes to ashes," and recited a prayer of sorts. Mordred didn't pay much heed.

Despite maintaining his stoic demeanor, the grief-stricken Kuzuki had Mordred doing a double take at his stoic request.

"Kill me… please.

Before, I had nothing, I _was_ nothing. If not for Caster, I would have remained as nothingness. In Caster, I found fulfillment, something resembling happiness. And in her wake, there is but desolation." Assassin, despite witnessing her dedication to protect him, was still incredulous at Kuzuki's steadfast belief in the sincerity of their brief relationship.

"You believe what transpired between you was real? Despite her past, despite all she's done up until now?"

"It is; I didn't care for the Grail or who she was, only who she would become should we be together. I would've fought and even died for her, and the fact that she defied my orders, dying while protecting me…

I do not have long left. If you are a merciful servant, I implore of you to take my life."

Mordred felt the pain of someone who felt fulfilled by sharing the warmth of a relationship, but it likely implied an upbringing which couldn't be anything good. But the man could feel, and he felt something in Caster's presence.

And with Caster gone, he might as well be dead.

Assassin took a breath as best he could with his destroyed chest and protruding rib-cage, discovering newfound respect towards the duo's bond.

"Then…

With my vestigial strength, Souichirou Kuzuki, I will endeavor to give you a proper burial and funeral rites before fading away." Mordred raised Clarent, Kuzuki both thanking Assassin and preparing for his death by lowering his head.

One swing, and it was over.

Unlike last time where Mordred felt nothing from killing Shinji, this death scene instead left a bitter taste in her mouth, since Caster's last moments revealed who she really was. To be reminded of her reaching out to Father…

Perhaps it was true, that death reveals the true nature in people.

Assassin apparently shared her thoughts.

"Well, that was quite the revelation. I wrote Caster off as merely a despicable sorceress, and in doing so made a minor but significant error in my reading of her personality.

And hopefully yours as well." Kojiro turned to face Mordred, who still had Caster's somber death and betrayal of her own motif of betrayal in mind.

"Mordred, the Knight of Treachery. I know not why you have been summoned, nor do I care in my final hours. Your Noble Phantasm aimed at Kuzuki-san was most despicable, forcing Caster to bear the brunt of both our ultimate techniques."

Hmph.

"Honor doesn't help you win a fight."

"True, but is there any meaning in an underhanded victory?" The bitter taste of treachery Mordred secretly proved Kojiro right, but no way she was admitting that.

"Don't talk like you know me. I told you nothing."

"And yet your swordsmanship tells me everything.

… This is not your first Holy Grail War, no?" Mordred's breath froze at that, and although she tried to play it cool, Kojiro picked up on her flinching as proof to continue his hypothesis.

"I can't quite put my finger on it, but in your Noble Phantasm, Clarent Blood Arthur, you poured all your heart into that one ferocious strike. All your experience and growth, far more than what one can accumulate in the ongoing Fifth Holy Grail War, it bleeds into the spirit behind your technique.

Loss, pain, the blood you draw and shed during battle, forming the maturity of a tempered fire…

But its loneliness, perhaps, is what tipped me off."

Shishigou, Astolfo, Sieg, Jeanne, even Assassin and Berserker of Black…

Picking up Kuzuki's corpse to disappear into the forest, Kojiro wistfully turned back to a silenced Mordred.

"I pray for your soul, and hope you find peace in whatever it is you seek. As they say in your country, godspeed." Left alone, Mordred tried to find some solace in her disemboweled voice for a comrade.

' _Jeanne? You there?'_

 _ **' … '**_

' … _Figures.'_

Jeanne was likely repulsed by her behavior, Mordred didn't blame Jeanne for giving her the silent treatment.

Archer entered the wasteland where a speechless Mordred stood, the damage from his battle with Lancer evident in his wounds and ripped clothes.

"I'd planned to betray Caster by killing her and her master, but it seems you've handled things on your end." Noting the blood staining Clarent's blade and Mordred's distant stare, Archer's curiosity was piqued.

"What happened here, Mordred?"

" … Nothing. Nothing at all."


	10. Chapter 9 - Days of Future Past

Mordred was anxious to meet Father at the Tohsaka manor, Archer sharing how Shirou retreated with a fatigued Father before rushing back with Rin himself.

However, there was no rest for the wicked upon looking down at Rin and Father's splayed forms, Mordred's heart sinking at the insinuation. A trembling Rin was despairing at Archer's actions which were seen as an outright betrayal.

"Archer… how could you…

Mordred… Archer's somehow traced Rule Breaker to cut himself loose… then kidnapped Shirou and took him somewhere!"

Damn, Archer was moving _fast._

Checking Rin's condition, she'd Reinforced her neck to avoid being knocked unconscious despite temporarily losing her motor functions. Archer-Class servants had Independent Action, Archer likely recovered somewhat by taxing Caster's mana reserves before cutting himself loose. Shirou, a human, stood little to no chance against Archer.

Damn it, were her Command Spells of any use against rogue servants? Jeanne was giving her the silent treatment, so she had no idea what'd happen if a Ruler commanded an independent servant.

Fuck it, she had no way of manipulating the idealistic conflict between them, so she'd have to focus on helping Father and Rin recover as they tensely waited for the outcome.

* * *

Shirou blinked awake, groggily getting up while Archer watched over him. They were stranded in a deserted world full of swords sticking out from the ground like tombstones, colossal cogs peeking through the blackish clouds and colored by the orange sun.

This wasn't Fuyuki City, much less the Tohsaka manor.

"Where… am I? Archer? Where are we?"

Archer didn't grace him with an answer, and Shirou was getting unnerved by the killing intent radiating off of Archer as he approached, Shirou warily backing away from him.

"This is going to be the worst day of your shortened, miserable life. But don't worry. I'll put us both out of our misery soon enough."

His confusion was alleviated as Archer tossed something at Shirou, catching the pendant and bringing out his own crystal pendant which he picked up after his first meeting with Lancer.

"I never found out who that pendant belonged to in my timeline, but I now realize it belonged to Rin. I returned my own pendant to her, but I figured I needed it back to convince you."

"S-So you're…"

"You're catching on. I'm a future you, removed from the timeline in service of the World. That's all you need to know, especially since you won't live to see the dawn."

Ok, so Archer was somehow suicidally trying to kill Shirou, Archer's own past self.

"S-Stop, Rin will - "

"I cut myself loose with a traced Rule Breaker, her Command Spells are useless. You'd know all about that, no? Watch me, Emiya Shirou.

Trace. On." Shirou's heart stopped as Archer projected his twin knives, Kanshou and Bakuya.

"Trace my knives, Emiya Shirou. I will show you that a copy will always be hopelessly outmatched by the original."

He found himself doing just that to survive the incoming onslaught, Archer's blows cracking his traced Kanshou and Bakuya. Reinforcing them only helped so much, Shirou remaining on the defensive by angling his knives so that they wouldn't bear the full brunt of Archer's superhuman strikes.

Saber's training emphasized defense, since even Shirou understood how outmatched he was, eyes daring to dart around in the pause between blows to find an escape. Archer picked up on his distraction, kicking Shirou in the stomach to punish his mistake.

"You're in my Reality Marble, you can see it as my internal world projected onto reality to cut us off from the outside world.

You _will_ die today, Emiya Shirou."

"But wouldn't that uncreate you as well? Why would I want to kill myself?!"

Archer gave him a look, "That's the point. I wanted to become a Hero of Justice like Kiritsugu once did, but I failed.

People were going to die, and I made a contract to gain power and save everyone.

However, I was framed to be a mastermind of the conflict and executed, and my ideals were spat on as I became a Counter Guardian as payment. Saving lives, upholding justice, all that meant nothing to me as a Counter Guardian. I was a cleaner, erasing conflicts to ensure the continued existence of the world at large.

Can you imagine that, Emiya Shirou? Killing women, kids, babies on all sides in a war to ensure that they don't grow up to perpetuate the cycle of revenge-killing.

And yet, conflicts kept flooding in to be purged."

Shirou couldn't completely evade the flurry of knife swings, the stinging sensation of cold steel slicing into flesh as they dealt superficial damage until Archer finished his monologue, after which the executioner's axe would likely fall.

"Your ideals are not your own.

You attempt to realize Kiritsugu's ideals to fill the void in your heart, thanks to surviving what should've killed you along with everyone in that fire.

Let's stop lying to ourselves! We've always wanted to be a Hero of Justice just because Kiritsugu looked so happy to have saved you, when he'd always seemed broken on the inside! You thought it'd heal your trauma, believing that you could succeed where Kiritsugu once failed!

I'm living proof that you'll be doomed to fail like he did, and you were a fool to think that hard work and dedication could overcome his advice of 'sacrifice the few to save the many'. To copy his ideals and pretend they're your own, that's the epitome of hypocrisy!

What do you have to say in your defense, _Emiya Shirou?!"_

Archer's Bakuya cut diagonally across Shirou's chest, drawing blood upon following through its motions, wiping his blood on his conveniently-colored crimson cloak. Shirou, however, was bleeding out. But he was struggling not against Archer but instead his erupting desire to deny Archer's existence and words, and thus denying himself.

"I… accept you…"

"Your refusal to accept me is natural, since I am a betrayal of your ideal - " Archer then took a moment to parse Shirou's next statement.

"No… I accept… you…" And recalled his conversation with Saber a few days ago, shortly after Team Mordred rescued Shirou from the Einzbern Manor.

Really, what was he becoming a Hero of Justice for?

To help Kiritsugu realize his ideals, posthumously validating his ideals?

To repay the equal amount of people who died in the Fire, pray everyone else's gratitude would cancel out his deep-seated self-loathing?

To fill the void within himself because of his obsession with his savior Kiritsugu, meaning Shirou only cared about continuing his legacy instead of creating his own?

Deep down, Shirou already knew the answer.

 _All of the above._

Archer savored the slow roast to break Shirou with everything he had, twin blades glimmering in the evening sun to await his last words before the execution.

Every hero needs a villain as Kotomine said, was Shirou the warped one to want people to be in danger for him to save the day?

Definitely, maybe.

Like Archer said, it was hypocritical to fight for selfless ideals when it was all done to ease his survivor's guilt. He felt happy when helping others, but wasn't that just him copying their happiness to cover up his emptiness?

His reinforced Kanshou and Bakuya finally failed him as the paltry swings thrown in Archer's direction were all either dodged or straight-up broken with a single strike. Archer kneed him in the gut, a blistering wave of pain causing him to collapse while his future self loomed over him.

"Pitiful. Your imitations could never hope to stand up to the original."

"True, but there's no rule that says… a copy can't beat an original!"

Honestly, he really shouldn't diminish the power behind his words by sprouting them while curled up on the ground, clutching at his wounds.

Then, as the adrenaline kicked in, everything clicked together.

Saber's desire to erase her reign as King in their dialogue.

Archer trying to erase his past self because it all went wrong for him.

Saber was reconsidering her wish thanks to Mordred reminding her that erasing her existence would spit in the faces of all who served and sacrificed under her.

Somehow, Archer was like him. They wanted to protect everything, but it was too abstract and large a concept for Archer to realistically carry out. His ideals and actions, like Saber's, were too alien and also unpalatable to everyone else and doomed their quests to embody that treacherous ideal.

It was an epiphany enriching his spirit, a second wind guiding his wavering ideals in a direction he could never have identified on his own.

If all roads down that route of selflessness led to failure, Shirou was forced to admit it.

The ideal itself was flawed.

Kiritsugu, Saber, Archer.

All of them at one point lived for the sake of helping others which led to failure, and he was arrogant to think that he alone could achieve an outcome which they all couldn't in their lifetimes combined. That line of thinking led to the inception of Archer, who was betrayed by their ideals.

He had to realize that he couldn't save everyone, like Shinji and Kuzuki-sensei. It was a bitter pill to swallow.

But wasn't that the point of growing up anyway?

Saber. Rin. Sakura. Illya. Taiga. He was the one tying them all together, and as much as he didn't want them out of his life, he found that he similarly didn't want to be absent from theirs.

He wanted to build a positive future with everyone - no, as many of them as he could. And he wanted to see himself be happy with them, to learn to find some fulfillment while in their company and not at their service.

Shinji and Kuzuki-sensei's deaths were horrific, but he couldn't lose sight of the people he treasured. He'd certainly try to save others outside of the circle of people closest to him, but he had friends and family he valued above others. He'd ensure the safety of those closest to him before saving everyone else, then make his peace with the outcome.

Almost hilarious, to think that Shirou was so obsessed with succeeding Kiritsugu's ideals and ignore his most important lesson: you can't save everyone.

He wanted to prove Kiritsugu's ideals right to prove that that statement was wrong, but growing up hurt, and it took a Holy Grail War where people were dying around him to fully digest that lesson.

Another lesson taught by Saber was that by sacrificing himself to save others, he'd inadvertently place a burden on them for getting into trouble in the first place to be rescued and cause Shirou's death. Following his death, everyone he saved would be haunted by his shadow as his ultimate sacrifice would drive them apart no matter who he saved.

He'd be ruining everyone's lives, since his ultimate act of selflessness would never be matched by anyone not driven enough to repay his late self who followed his ideals to its logical extreme.

They'd be driven to madness from the survivor's guilt Shirou always felt.

Even Kiritsugu's act of saving him was not entirely selfless, the desolation in his eyes filled by the relief of having done something right in a world gone horribly wrong. He'd create more people like him, who either lived in the shadow of his idealistic sacrifice and be indebted to his corpse, or die attempting to emulate him to escape that shadow of self-sacrifice.

God, what _was_ he doing?

' _So, was this what Saber was warning me against? Being betrayed by an impossible ideal and living a life full of regrets?_

 _Thank you, Saber.'_

Crawling back up, Archer threw him a surprised backwards glance. Shirou spat out a mouthful of blood, pushing off of his shaking knee.

Shirou weakly held up his balled fists in a fighting stance, Archer giving him a strange look which finally transitioned into visible disappointment.

Playing Shirou's game as he de-materialized Kanshou and Bakuya, Archer held out his arms in a 'Bring it on' stance, Shirou going in despite knowing it was fruitless to try and hurt a Heroic Spirit.

Archer winced as a Reinforced fist met his gut, applying his technique to his own knuckles. Part of Archer's plan was to break Shirou, and whaling on Archer to eventually find that his ideals meant nothing in the face of Archer's reality check would eventually break him.

But dammit, he had to try.

Eventually tiring of this farce, Archer slammed his own Reinforced fist into Shirou's cheek, throwing him to the ground. And yet, Shirou pushed his trembling body up with his aching muscles, creaking bones threatening to break under his weight as Archer expressed surprise at his tenacity.

Gasping, Shirou felt a perpetual throb of pain thanks to Archer beating on his wounds in his attempt to break Shirou, which nearly worked if not his timely epiphany.

"Don't worry about me. I can do this all day." Archer knocking him down to kick him in the face hurt, and although his face swelled from the blow, it didn't impede his speech.

"I must thank you… really, Archer. All this time, I thought you were just a self-absorbed, pessimistic and anti-social bastard, when all along… you were my greatest friend.

Realizing I became you was like taking a bucket of chilly water to the face, but it showered me with reality. Even if I tried my best to become the Hero of Justice, there's just so many things which could go wrong to turn me into how Kiritsugu appeared that night."

One thing Shirou realized that Archer never went for his throat. A throat punch or knife to the throat of his unconscious self could easily shut him up for good.

Archer _wanted_ to hear his answer.

"I always asked myself, how did Kiritsugu end up looking like that, if he was once aspiring to be a Hero of Justice?

Now, you showed me that despite our best efforts, I can still fail. Even Saber failed her kingdom upon becoming the ideal king for everyone's sake, so the fault lies not in the means but the goal itself."

"So do you give up?" Archer's expectant expression was akin to a spit in Shirou's face, getting him riled up as he was wont to do when challenged on this.

"Of course not! I still want to be a Hero of Justice!

But just as I agree that can't save everyone like Shinji and Kuzuki-sensei, I'll save as many as I can and live with the regret of not saving more! To shoulder those regrets without breaking, I'll become stronger! Stronger than anything we can both imagine!"

Dealing another series of bone-cracking punches, Archer was furious at having his plans derailed, aiming for Shirou's wounds and whaling on them with superhuman strength, exponentially compounding the agony.

"You don't get it! You'll be betrayed and killed by your own ideals, and I must put us both out of our misery! To fight to for an ideal which is not your own is to live a lie!"

"No, you just want to erase your own suffering because things didn't go the way you wanted! Don't project your problems and concerns onto me, I accept you for who you are as a very possible outcome of my impossible quest.

But don't you stand in my way of what I can become, what _we_ can become, _EMIYA SHIROU!"_

Calling Archer by his real name was akin to a slap to his cheek, stirring up a bout of total rage channeled through Archer's intensified punches.

"And what if you become like me? Will you choke on your aspirations and drown in them as the world betrays you?!"

Entirely within the realm of possibility, Shirou had to admit with Archer's existence. But even still, even if his specialty was copying others, the one thing he could attempt to be better at was at being a better Emiya Shirou.

To literally be better than himself.

"That's possible. But I will never be _completely_ like you, thanks to your intervention.

I will never regret helping people, I will… never regret falling like you did, made to clean up everyone's mess. Because I'm now fighting to realize a world where everyone is happy. Including myself, and even you! And I realize that others feel happy while in my company, and I'll fight for my own sake as much as I fight for theirs!

I can be better, I will be better! Please, just give me a chance!" Archer went for the kill by slamming his enraged fists into Shirou's face and chest, his inhuman strength delivering fatal blow.

"You won't get the chance to!"

Shirou's body was failing him, but not his reinvigorated spirit and renewed ideals.

"I want to help you as well, Archer, to realistically live by those ideals …

Can you imagine that Emiya Shirou… that future us…?" Archer's strength was wavering, unable to see that version of himself. But he found himself wanting to believe that the Emiya Shirou before him was actually capable of reaching heights he never could.

"But, it's not my future…" And here Shirou accepted Archer as part of himself, as an end state he could have easily ended up as had Archer himself not ruthlessly questioned his ideals, forcing him to confront their practicality.

"But… it doesn't make sense to call it 'copying' when you copy from yourself, right?" Shirou's vision began to blur, pushing himself off the ground to delay the inevitable before his dying body hit the floor, defiantly choosing to fight and survive for those who waited for his return instead of simply dying here for an ideal which gave him nothing in return.

Archer looked down at his unconscious self, having outgrown his ideals without fully giving up on them, an epiphany of realizing his own worth not as a servant but as a person. Recalling Mordred's words,

' _When he recognizes that his dream is in pieces too small to be put back the way he wants it to, show him a different path._

 _A better path._

 _Mold those pieces however you desire, and help Shirou become what you never could, Archer.'_

Projecting Bakuya into his palm upon seeing that prophecy come true despite all his efforts to break and kill Shirou, it instead helped Shirou grow and caused Archer's suicidal resolve to waver in the process.

He could end this here right now.

Drive this blade through his skull. Hell, use Unlimited Blade Works. Just put them both out of his misery and prevent his inception as a Counter Guardian.

And yet, he wanted to see it. The Emiya Shirou of this timeline growing into his own person to redeem not just himself but also Archer, to be inspired by his past self into being better than his current self.

"ARRGH!" Channelling all his self-loathing, internal conflict and seething rage into his final stabbing strike, the crater formed by Archer's Bakuya marked the end of his one-sided beatdown. Archer was left alone with an immobile Shirou and his storm of conflicting thoughts.


	11. Chapter 10 - Heart to Heart

The Tohsaka manor's front door slamming open jolted Mordred into action, supporting a recovering Father down to meet Archer as he carried Shirou Cain-and-Abel style. Thankfully, Shirou was still breathing, Archer unceremoniously dropping him to allow a panicking Saber to stumble over and check his condition.

Honestly, should the boy die, Father would've sensed it and ran on her own spiritual reserves for some time before fading away or contracting with Rin. And yet, Archer's conviction managed to make Mordred sweat a little…

Rin stomped up to Archer, fuming as she swung a palm towards his face while the independent servant stopped her incoming slap. Rin's other slap was similarly halted, resorting to kneeing Archer between the legs to cause Archer's grip to fumble.

Archer's expression wrinkled before doubling over, making the noise of a deflating balloon while clutching his groin. Mordred walking up to pat him on the back while sharing what happened on their end.

"Sorry, Archer. Rin cornered me and had me spill everything I know, as well as why you have it out for Shirou. Honestly, I was also worried since you chose to act now, and I honestly couldn't tell if you'd commit to your murderous mission."

Rin stared at Archer, "Archer, or Emiya… What exactly do you call yourself?"

"I was always comfortable with Archer, but I suppose you can call me Emiya to differentiate me from Shirou."

"Why?" Archer understood Rin's question, displaying a rare expression of regret.

"I fell into despair after failing to uphold my ideals, being conscripted as a Counter Guardian who massacred people en masse to maintain peace. I just wanted to end it all by killing my past self."

"So what changed, Arc… Emiya?"

"Careful. Other servants and masters would thank you for mixing those two terms up while in the midst of combat." This earned Archer a lighthearted punch from Rin, his expression softening a little upon witnessing his unconscious past self.

"… I give up on that idiot. I tried to break him with my words, and he used me to become stronger. He'll become his own man who fights for the happiness of those closest to him, hopefully no longer rushing to his death for his 'Hero of Justice' spiel."

" And what's your wish now?" Archer took a while to find his answer.

"… I want to see it. An Emiya Shirou who creates and fights for his own future and ideals while taking inspiration from the ideals of others."

Seeming satisfied with that answer, Rin got up and dusted herself off before walking away.

"Rin." Stopping in her tracks, Mordred could see a second wind revitalizing Archer compared to before, when he only seemed interested in acting with the best results in mind.

"Despite my best efforts in trying to break him, Shirou has successfully confronted the more impractical aspects of his ideals.

He's chosen to protect those closest to him over everyone else, realistically choosing to save whoever brings purpose and happiness to his life over upholding ambiguous terms like 'justice' and 'saving everyone' to feel better about himself.

Don't give up on that idiot, no matter what." The moment between master and servant was broken as Mordred quick-drew Clarent in response to the killing intent flaring from behind her, blocking an incoming Excalibur aimed at Archer.

"Archer…" Saber was propping herself with Excalibur, looking ready to murder Archer even as she was still recovering from fighting Assassin and surviving Gae Bolg on day one; Mordred had also overheard talks of an incomplete summoning and Shirou's ineptitude as a mage, which put Father in a difficult position.

Wildly swinging Excalibur to strike Archer down, Mordred played the mediator by parrying Excalibur.

Father seethed, "Get out of my way, Mordred. This bastard tried to murder Shirou! He will die for betraying us!"

"Father!"

But before the situation got out of hand, Archer lightly pushed Mordred out of the way to confront and stare Father down.

"But you see, Saber. I am also Emiya Shirou. If you cut me down, you'd be cutting him down as well."

"You're no longer the Emiya Shirou I know, Archer!" That statement actually seemed to hurt Archer, his stoic demeanor softening a touch as he fearlessly entered Father's sword range to leave his life at Saber's mercy.

"Really? Then you may take my head. I'm interested in Emiya Shirou's new ideals, but after my past as a failed Hero of Justice and a killing machine known as a Counter Guardian, I guess I don't deserve that chance at redemption after all I've done for the 'greater good'.

In my quest to save everyone, I ended up saving no one. Is it so wrong to wish to come back in time and stop, if not at least warn my past self of my mistakes?"

Saber was seriously considering the thought of murdering Archer, Mordred wondering if she had to vomit blood to fire another Clarent Blood Arthur to defend Archer. But Father's trembling Excalibur was finally lowered as Saber rushed to Shirou's side, helping the boy to his feet after being beaten black and blue, blood seeping from slash wounds.

Archer shared Rin and Mordred's surprise as they enclosed Saber. But murderous rage conflicted with genuine sympathy as Father's fist connected with Archer's face, huffing as the time-travelling servant collapsed whilst clutching his bruised face.

"If Emiya Shirou still exists within you, consider that punch a wake-up call."

Mordred walked up to a reeling Archer, giving him a relieved pat at successfully defusing the situation.

"Well, that could have gone a lot worse."

"It could have, but it didn't." Both time travelers looked back at Rin, Archer straightening his cracked nose before speaking.

"Perhaps in becoming stronger, I made the mistake of thinking my experiences and cynicism equaled wisdom. In wanting to protect everyone, I thought if I erased myself from existence, all those people I massacred as a Counter Guardian, they'd all be saved.

I'm no different from him. I forgot about the other people whose lives I've influenced and saved, only concerning myself with upholding my foolish ideals to the very end, even if that meant killing myself.

Rin, you don't have to command me not to hurt Shirou anymore; I've lost interest in trying to kill him. At least, if he doesn't go risking his life again." Nodding somberly, Rin's left palm which gently patted Archer's cheek transitioned into a light slap, leaving a perplexed Archer with a 'I-deserved-that' look.

"Who said anything about Shirou?

Next time, use chloroform and cloth the next time you want to knock me out. The two times you struck me in the neck hurt even after Reinforcing myself, I think I'm going to permanently need a neck brace the next time you use a neck strike."

"Really? I apologize, then." Rin waved his concerns away, briskly walking off with Archer following behind to leave Mordred alone, the possible disbanding of Team Mordred thankfully averted for now.

She had enough of fellowships breaking up around her in three lifetimes.

* * *

Mordred was relaxing on her bed when she felt Father's presence nearing her room, knocking on her door with the impeccable manners befitting a king.

"Come in." Father was wearing her blue gown, looking rather grateful as she closed the door behind her to have their first father-son moment excluding that time in Medusa's Bounded Field.

"Mordred. I'd like to thank you for stopping me just now, when I wanted to strike Archer down. He hurt Shirou, and…" Oh, come on. Even Mordred could see it, confronting her father about this nagging suspicion she had.

"Father, do you love Shirou?"

"… Yes. I fought with Shirou's father, Emiya Kiritsugu in the Fourth Holy Grail War.

It was a complicated relationship and a bloody Holy Grail War. To think Shirou would become who he is while being raised by Kiritsugu, of all people…" Shaking those idle thoughts out of her head, Father sat down on a chair next to Mordred's bed.

With their estranged past hanging over them, Mordred could feel that Father was trying to reach out to her, respecting Father enough to remain silent and allow him to find the right words to use as a parent, not a king.

"Mordred, I want to say… in spite of everything that's happened between us, I'm proud of you. I admit, I was no parent. But I no longer have a throne, no Britannia to manage and no kingly image to uphold, so I want to be a better parent to make up for lost time and connect with everyone, mainly you and Shirou.

I forgive you for everything that's transpired in our past. It was your own way of protecting Britannia from me. To be honest, I was surprised at how you became your own person in this war, instead of constantly attempting to earn my approval or command my attention.

Is this the loneliness felt by a parent as their children fly the coop?" Huh, was she really that different from her past self? Mordred at least agreed she wasn't that desperate to have Father acknowledge her existence, and she certainly wasn't eager to be king with the Greater Grail misinterpreting her wish.

"So this isn't your first Holy Grail War, Father?"

Arthur's expression darkened in consternation upon dredging up unpleasant memories.

Mordred could empathize.

"No. In my previous Holy Grail War, I met and fought Lancelot. He wanted to be punished for bedding Guinevere. But my choice to punish Guinevere and forgive Lancelot drove him mad with guilt, accelerating Britannia's downfall."

Mordred was conflicted about this, unsure of her father's thoughts regarding the Knights of the Round Table in hindsight.

"So do you blame Lancelot and the lot of us for bringing Britannia down?"

"No. Merlin told me that Britannia was destined to fall, and we did everything we could to stop it.

But we merely prolonged the inevitable. I wanted Britannia to end in a peaceful whimper instead of a bang, but perhaps I was a fool to think I would control and change fate. Perhaps, like Rider said, the Fourth's Rider, Iskandar, mind you…

I never shared my ideals and inspired our people to be greater than they were. I instead embodied the ideal of a martyr in peacetime, quietly sacrificing myself for the sake of our people and country.

It was an ideal no one shared." Recalling Jeanne d'Arc's martyrdom in liberating France, Mordred understood how martyrs were only useful when there was a war to fight and a sword to fall on as a sacrificial inspiration, but a martyr as king was a mismatch which doomed Father.

Time for damage control.

"Father. If you have regrets about your rule, which I'm pretty sure you still do, know that this isn't entirely your fault. Me, Lancelot, the Round Table, the people of Britannia. All of us stood behind you, yet we were unable to understand your duties as king.

You were an ideal ruler, but perhaps in being a little more flawed, you might have been much more effective. The whole affair with Lancelot and Guinevere was a total cluster-fuck, I got nothing to say about that. But I don't regret serving under you, Father.

I believe us Knights felt the same. We'd never deign to serve anyone less worthy than you, and if Britannia was doomed to fall anyway, we'd gladly fall along with you."

Mordred's eyes met Saber's, the Knight of Treachery sitting up to hammer home her point. "Even though you made mistakes during your reign, you did everything in your power to bring Britannia to greatness before maintaining its streak, everyone understood that.

Everything ends, Father. Britannia was doomed to fall like the setting sun, even if you prolonged the inevitable out of your love for Britain.

I personally believe if you couldn't stop its downfall, Father, no one could." Saber's eyes widened at Mordred behaving so maturely, a far cry from her impetuous, aggressive and volatile past self. But she realized that her fiery side was only reined in, the fire in her eyes tempered by world-weariness borne of conflict which instead made her stronger.

Honestly, it was as if Saber were looking in a mirror.

And Mordred then brightened up while exemplifying the difference between them.

"Don't you worry, Father. I'll learn from your mistakes and lead Britannia into another age of prosperity by conquering everything under the sun in the modern age.

Ah, but that'll mean I'll need the current queen, Elizabeth II, to 'retire' in order to take over command of Britain…" Saber sweat-dropped at the casual ease which Mordred spoke of knocking British royalty off, along with a chill running down her spine at Mordred's experience at regicide being put to use.

The current Queen of England was also little more than a figurehead, but Saber knew better than to pop Mordred's bubble.

But upon seeing Mordred aim to outdo Saber instead of attempting to fill her shoes, she recalled the meeting of kings in the Fourth Holy Grail War.

"I think you'd be great friends with Iskandar. He believed greed and ambition were paramount in being a king as he leads his people. Although I disagree with his savage ideals, I at least see where he was coming from.

If you are to become a conqueror, will you do it with the help of Caliburn?" Mordred froze up upon hearing that, blinking away the morbid reminder of the inevitable while Saber seemed confused at her son's sudden change in demeanor.

"Honestly? I only thought of pulling Caliburn from the stone to prove myself to you, but … my past has taught me not to solely define myself as your wannabe successor. 'sides, I don't need no stinkin' sword to validate my worth.

I've survived this far without it, drawing Caliburn just means having another equipment to carve out my future with. Even without being 'God's chosen king', I'll still be Mordred.

I'll still be your son, Father." Lightly punching Father in the shoulder with a genuine smile on her face, a befuddled Saber looked as Mordred excitedly gestured to herself while exclaiming.

"Come on, hit me!"

 _I am a king, but there is no Britannia to rule, no more people to lead. Is there any harm in being more human?_ Awkwardly returning a balled fist to Mordred's shoulder, Saber cracked a smile which stretched her facial muscles in an unfamiliar, but not entirely unwelcome manner before leaving the room.

As the door closed, Mordred's smile crumpled to wait for Father to walk beyond earshot before picking up the chair. Smashing it into the wall in a fit of rage at the unfair world before collapsing into her bed, Mordred held her head in her hands at how a bitter clash between them seemed to be an inevitable conclusion.


	12. Chapter 11 - A Meeting of Masters

_**Author's Note**_

 _AzHasANewName1: I understand where you're coming from, but I must try and defend myself by arguing that Mordred lost against Gilgamesh, even if defeating him wasn't the actual goal, and there is a build-up which heavily implies that Mordred will fight Artoria in Camlann 2.0._

 _Her role as Ruler means that she isn't out to kill anyone who doesn't outright deserve it, others either want to suck up to her (for lack of a better description), and she also has an unfair advantage with her command spells which comes in_ _very clutch in defeating Caster Medea. Otherwise I imagine she'd lose to Caster's Rule Breaker, since she's weaker than Artoria._

 _But criticism is criticism, I will take your advice into account._

* * *

Sakura was standing at the gate of the Tohsaka manor, a civilian-clothed Rider guarding her master as they visited Team Mordred. Medusa carried a white cane used by the blind to justify wearing her eye cover, Mordred walking up to greet them at the gate after Sakura pressed the intercom button to address the manor's owner.

"Tohsaka-senpai, I… I'd like to see Emiya-senpai." Rider strongly patted her on the back, the shrinking violet that was Sakura struggling to put a little more force behind her words.

" … _please."_ With Rin grunting over the intercom before the gates creaked, Mordred stood back to allow the gate to swing open before guiding them up to the manor. "Yo, you been doing well, Rider?"

"Yes. Sakura, this is the Ruler-Class servant, Mordred, who's watching over this war. Mordred, this is my new master, Sakura Matou." Mordred already liked Sakura simply because she was a much more decent human being than Shinji, the Matou girl bowing respectfully towards the Knight of Treachery. Sakura was a wallflower, likely content with walking behind the heroic spirit duo if Rider hadn't pulled her up to walk alongside them.

"How'd you know of Shirou's condition? Archer didn't sense Rider's presence when Shirou got hurt."

"Tohsaka-senpai notified me of senpai's condition, and also wanted to discuss plans for an alliance or at least a truce to defeat the other masters. I've finished preparations for Shinji onii-san's funeral, I'll be heading there after checking on Emiya-senpai's condition."

Wow. What a buzzkill.

Mordred and Rider remained conspicuously silent regarding the blue-haired teenager's death, walking alongside Sakura while enjoying the manor's scenery. Mordred exercised what little tact she had learnt in her lifetimes, since Sakura likely wouldn't take very well to Mordred trash-talking the dead boy.

"So… do you have any interest in winning this Holy Grail War, Sakura?" Sakura flinched upon hearing the Holy Grail War being brought up, looking non-confrontational while trying to disappear within her own shrinking figure. "Not really, I just want to lay low and avoid everyone else. I don't want to hurt anyone, and I don't have any wish to be granted."

Reaching the manor's doorstep, Sakura turned back towards Rider to wordlessly ask whether she wanted to enter the manor with her. "I have no interest in the boy, Sakura. Besides, he wouldn't take too well to seeing me after the incident at the school.

You go on ahead." Nodding timidly before bowing towards Mordred, Sakura shuffled towards the manor door while Rider stayed behind with Mordred.

"Medusa, I have something for you to do."

"Name it, and I shall carry it out to the best of my ability."

"If I fight Saber, I need you to stop Archer from interfering with everything you've got."

"'If'?" Mordred admitted how she was still stumped regarding the upcoming confrontation, and how to best avoid killing Father. "I'm trying to find another way to resolve this without coming to blows with Father, and it might involve Archer's abilities."

Learning that Archer was capable of tracing any observed weapon with Projection, Shirou was probably capable of doing the same. Mordred was still working on how to get either of them to use their Trace ability to fuck the Greater Grail's plans up, skipping the whole 'killing Father' part.

If that failed, then…

 _Forgive me Father, not for what I have done but for what I am about to do._

* * *

Sakura and Rin met each other outside Shirou's room, acknowledging each other's existence with curt nods as per their family's agreement before entering his room. They were greeted with a fully-healed Shirou sitting up on the bed, although he needed Saber to feed him his porridge since he was last seen slashed and beaten within an inch of his life by Archer.

"Shirou, you're healed up?!"

"Senpai, you're alright!" Along with Sakura and Rin, Saber herself was also stumped at Shirou's fast recovery, feeding him another spoonful of porridge while deducing the cause.

"Such miraculous healing speed, and Shirou, there's something within you which I felt I've lost… No doubt, this must be Avalon!" "Avalon." Everyone turned to Archer standing at the doorway, entering the room to stand before Shirou's bed while addressing Sakura. "Sakura Matou. I am Emiya Shirou from the future. I'm also known as Archer in this war."

Saber raised an eyebrow at Archer revealing his true name and time-traveler status. But Archer had a soft spot for the timid girl, a nostalgic and protective sentiment which was shared by his past self and transcended the ages.

"Emiya Shirou's been healed, thanks to Avalon being implanted in him by Kiritsugu during the Fuyuki Fire all those years ago. Saber, just stay with him and he'll be fine. Right now, we need to talk about how we are to resolve this Holy Grail War."

He took command of the situation, Saber allowing him to take the stage since he'd already fought in the Fifth Holy Grail War and had experienced one of its many possible outcomes. "You and Rider are one party, and I'm with Rin. A girl named Illya has Berserker, Saber and Shirou make up the fourth while the last party consists of Gilgamesh, Kirei Kotomine and Lancer."

"Sakura. Is Rider - " The mention of Rider likely triggered something within Shirou, his expression hardening at the mention of Sakura's servant after surviving her attempt on his life.

"Y-Yes, but Rider-san won't hurt you anymore. I'll use a command spell to stop her if necces - " The door slammed open, Rider ominously standing at the entrance as she deadpanned in the face of the jumping servants tensing up for combat.

" _Please_ don't, Sakura. Emiya Shirou doesn't interest me anymore, and I'll make sure to keep him alive if Saber and I come to blows.

For your sake, at least." This was enough to relax the simmering tension which caught Archer, Saber and Shirou in its spell, everyone settling down save for an extremely wary Shirou as Mordred played the spectator to the conversation amongst the three master and servant pairs.

"U-Um, Kotomine-san has two servants. Is he the biggest priority?"

"Yes. Sakura, you've met Gilgamesh, am I right? Blonde, haughty, too-cool-for-school guy?" Sakura shrank back as the spotlight was shifted towards her thanks to Rin, everyone having some difficulty buying the lie which then came out of her mouth. "Yes. He asked me for directions in a foreign language, I couldn't understand him."

Rin appeared genuinely concerned for Sakura's well-being, shrugging off that flimsy lie to enlighten the duo about just what they were dealing with.

"Both Gilgamesh and Kirei are dangerous in their own ways, so stay away from them. Gilgamesh took on Berserker, Archer and Saber without much fuss. We survived only by retreating from the Einzbern manor, so do _not_ fight him one-on-one." Rider nodded at that piece of life-saving advice, Mordred now paying half a mind to the conversation while making herself comfortable on her chair.

Shirou piped up,

"But without Kotomine-san, there wouldn't be any more sanctuaries for defeated masters to hide in, right?" Only to be shot down by Archer. "Did you really think there ever was one in the first place?"

Shirou's expression hardened as Archer clearly knew things he didn't, a disgusted Archer sharing with Shirou a tidbit of information learnt from a turncoat Lancer during his kidnapping. "Kirei Kotomine is using the orphans from the Fuyuki Fire to fuel Gilgamesh with mana, despite how the blonde bastard likely didn't need it with his human body granted to him by the Grail mud."

"That's horrible!" Sakura beat Shirou by a second at echoing their shared sentiment, Rider and Rin furrowing their eyebrows since they were utterly repulsed by the priest's atrocities, even if they were similarly aloof and morally flexible as the legendary Medusa and a magus-in-training.

Rin then laid out their battle plan for the trio to take note.

"Shirou will stay here to rest and recover. Just because Avalon healed your injuries doesn't mean that you can jump back into the fray. Then, we'll reach out to Ill - "

"Sh-Shouldn't Emiya-senpai remain at his own manor, where we can stay in and make it our base of operations?" Sakura's expression creased at the mention of Shirou staying at someone else's place, especially at a girl's house where tensions, emotions and hormones ran high. But Rin countered with her own rationalization behind this strategic decision, taking into account the likelihood of collateral damage in Sakura's suggestion.

"You have Taiga-senpai hanging out at your manor everyday, right? We can't get innocent bystanders unnecessarily involved, Shirou stupidly interrupted Archer's fight with Lancer and got himself killed. I had to save his life by reviving him, and that's how he got himself involved in the Holy Grail War in the first place."

"Um, yeah. Thanks for that, Rin."

Sakura seemed aghast at all these new revelations and developments, but mutely accepted it all from those who had fought longer than her as par for the course. Mordred detected the somewhat tense air between them in this exchange, not the kind caused by uneasy alliances in a Holy Grail War, but likely the romantic kind in a love triangle.

At least, judging from the anxious aside glances between Rin, Sakura and Shirou containing more than just friendly and familial concern.

Was there some friction between Sakura and Rin over Shirou? Whatever their link was, she had to investigate that. And since she had to convince Rider to fight Archer, she needed Sakura to be on-board in order to avoid any fallout between the purple-haired master and servant, lest a command spell be used to have Rider stand down and not fight Archer.

"As I was saying, we'll try to reach out to Illya and Berserker in order t - "

Archer stopped Rin mid-sentence and had her fuming at everyone interrupting her, Rider and Saber similarly guarding their respective masters upon detecting the enemy presence a beat later. Mordred, ever the proactive one, took point in exiting the manor to approach the enemy servant.

What greeted them at the manor gate was quite the unexpected sight.

Lancer weakly propped himself up with Gae Bolg as he carried the unconscious, bloodstained body of Illyasviel, a blood trail marking Lancer's meandering path towards the Tohsaka manor. Lancer himself was impaled on the back by various mythological weapons, likely a result of Gilgamesh's handiwork. His breathing was strained and his demeanor haggard, the trio of masters rushing over to the dying servant as he uttered with what sounded like his final breath.

"Please, help… her…" Before his legs gave out beneath him and he hit the floor, everyone rushing to his aid as Cu Chulainn held Illya up above his head to avoid crushing her.


	13. Chapter 12 - Dog Biting The King

_**Author's Notes**_

 _To be honest, AzHasANewName1, I don't want to bore everyone by retreading the same storylines that the main characters have gone through in vanilla F/SN. I understand where you're coming from, that Shirou's problems seem too easily resolved because Mordred's here and starts a chain reaction that ends up helping Shirou._

 _But I feel this is a 'damned if I do, damned if I don't' situation. And while I loved the philosophical discussions of the Hero of Justice ideal, I don't want to go through it again in a textual format which might bore readers and give them deja vu if it were exactly the same._

 _With Mordred's presence, I wanted to try and present a route (if you can call a fanfic a route) where Archer had a second opinion and someone to confide in, if Saber was reminded of her failings with a living reminder to wake her idea up, two of the primary differences from other routes. My argument is that Mordred is a time traveller (technically alternate dimension traveller, but I digress) and closely related to Saber, which would mean she is projected to have the largest impact on Archer and Saber, whom she teams up with._

 _I'd like to hear more of your viewpoints to help me improve this story and improve as an author, I mean no ill will towards you as a fellow fan of the Fate franchise. Apologies for any creative differences, and please enjoy this chapter._

* * *

This was quite the predicament.

Lancer was with Illya, who didn't have the loyal Berserker by her side. The Noble Phantasms embedded in Lancer's back highlighted only one culprit. Tearing a resisting Lancer's skinsuit open, only to find a horrific stab wound mangling his stopped heart had a shaken Mordred recalling Assassin's similarly bloody and lethal chest wound.

Lancer's condition was stabilized by basic first-aid and healing magic, and as they put Illya in the guest ward for her to recover, Lancer took several hours to be capable of speaking without vomitting blood. Lancer then spitefully recounted last night's events after surviving on sheer willpower and hatred for his second master, as well as mana supplied by Illya keeping him tethered to this world.

"If we ever go up against that monster and his blonde pompous bastard, _promise me_ that you'll kill him if I'm unable to kill him with Gae Bolg myself." This precipitated another bloody coughing fit, everyone holding the plucky Irishman down to prevent him from visiting a recuperating Illya and possibly exacerbate his own injuries.

* * *

 _ **Half a day ago…**_

 _Gilgamesh was bored._

 _Saber and her fellowship of mongrels were one problem, Rider was lying low, and that narrowed his list down to one target._

 _The Fourth Holy Grail War also had its moments of tranquility, but Gilgamesh wanted to be on the offensive to control the flow of this war to his benefit (and Kirei's)._

 _Sighing as he got up from his seat, Gilgamesh made a point to announce his intentions to where Kirei stood performing his priestly duties, if only to notify him of his activities when convenient._

" _It's time to hunt for some mongrels. Even if I can't mount the taxidermied heads of Heroic Spirits atop this church's walls as trophies, it's better than wasting time sitting inside this pathetic replacement of a palace." Kirei saw where the King of Heroes was coming from, and since his existence was no longer a secret, Kirei spoke understandingly at the alignment of their goals._

" _So who exactly are we hunting, King of Heroes?"_

" _Berserker. To survive my initial wrath is a testament to his might, and our goals align since I can kill some time and capture his homunculus master in one sweep, right?"_

" _Very well._ _Ripping her heart out should suffice. We'll have to find someone to implant the heart into and summon Angra Mainyu with, but that's a matter for another time."_

" _Then let us make haste, Kotomine. The game is afoot."_

 _Unfortunately for them and fortunately for Lancer, he overheard the conversation in his spectral form, remaining deathly silent while following the duo towards the Einzbern manor under the pretense of 'following and protecting' his 'master'._

 _And what did Angra Mainyu have to do with this?_

* * *

 _Illya and Berserker were in a tough spot. In defending his master, Berserker played one a defensive game. Gilgamesh was on the offensive, smelling blood in the water after slaughtering the manor's servants and pursued any opening in Berserker's defense relentlessly._

 _Kotomine was spectating the fight, Lancer reflecting on his plan to kill Kirei before he had the Einzbern girl make a contract with him to drive back Gilgamesh._

 _Backstabbing Kotomine was dishonorable, but this was_ Kirei Kotomine _. 'Honor' was wasted on him. Lancer was making his stand here, and when better to backstab a backstabber than when in close proximity to another master?_

 _Materializing with a thrusting Gae Bolg, Kirei's age belied his Executor-honed reflexes which never diminished over time as he sensed Lancer's killing intent and took swift action. His Gae Bolg, not going through the proper set-up to activate its powerful homing capability, was deflected by Kotomine's Black Keys. Despite his shock, Lancer backflipped away from Kirei's retaliatory swipes and helped to block Gate projectiles by spinning his Gae Bolg, boldly standing with Illya and Berserker._

 _Gilgamesh was only merely surprised at his arrival, although Kotomine and Gilgamesh were both smart enough to wordlessly understand his defiant actions. "Gilgamesh, I need that girl's heart. Feel free to rip it from her chest over Berserker's corpse, if that's what it takes._

 _Lancer. Do_ not _interfere."_

 _The order was compelling, but Lancer's free-spirited will and disdain for Kirei, bordering on outright hatred, allowed him to not-so-calmly ignore that order._

" _To hell with you, Kirei! Like I said when you killed my real master, you'd have to use a command spell to get me to do anything for you!" He only realized his blunder as Kirei, with his Arctic-cold glare, raised his arm to use one of his many command spells._

" _Then so be it. I command you, kill yourself with Gae Bolg." Lancer looked as if he were having an aneurysm in attempting to defy the command, but a command seal was absolute as his body betrayed him._

 _His right arm thrust Gae Bolg towards his chest against his will. Illya saw the infighting as her chance, exploiting Gilgamesh's amusement at Lancer's predicament._ " _Berserker, stop Lancer from killing himself!" Roaring in acknowledgement, Berserker's speed burst allowed him to reach Lancer, single-handedly botching Lancer's suicide attempt while looking into his eyes._

 _This Heroic Spirit was a true warrior._

 _Berserker, despite his diminished intelligence, wasn't going to let Lancer die like a dog even if he was associated with one. Struggling to pull Gae Bolg away from Lancer, Gilgamesh idly fired his Gate of Babylon at the Heroic Spirits to turn up the heat._

 _Illya cowered behind Lancer, lining them all up so that Berserker, with one hand holding onto his axe-sword, singlehandedly deflected the incoming projectiles._

 _Gilgamesh was looking much more irritated now, an interesting hunt likely cut short by a third party which further prevented Berserker from going all-out._

" _How troublesome. I came to be entertained, but you mongrels have failed even that._ _Let us put an end to this farce, then." Golden chains shot down from portals to capture the Heroic Spirit, the monstrously muscular figure whacking away the binding chains as best he could while still holding Gae Bolg._

 _It inched ever closer to Lancer's blue tight suit, and he swore Gae Bolg didn't even need to pierce him anymore when he felt his heart muscles freeze from the dread. This tug-of-war was being lost despite their combined efforts, although Lancer could feel Kirei's command spell wane after being unable to outmuscle Berserker's Herculean strength._

 _Just by witnessing Berserker's capabilities, Lancer was already reevaluating his luck at not having fought this titan of a heroic spirit on his first night, which might have gotten Lancer killed._

 _Emphasis on_ 'might'.

" _With this second Command Spell, Lancer._ Kill. Yourself."

 _Oh shi -_

" _KKKYYYAAAAHHHH!"_

 _Lancer imagined Illya was screeching because Lancer's impaling Gae Bolg released a fountain of blood which likely drenched her, looking on the_ very _dim 'bright side' that it was a sign she probably wasn't killed by Gae Bolg._

"RRRAAARRRGGHHHHHH!" _Even in his agony as he felt his own spear impale him, Lancer could feel Berserker's desperation and rage crescendo right then._

 _Both at hearing Illya cry, and at failing to protect Lancer as ordered._

 _As Lancer coughed out blood and went into cardiac arrest as he hit the floor, Berserker let go of him to Banzai Charge Gilgamesh and Kirei, his rage-red skin starting to smoke and char from the exertion in the fringes of Lancer's dying mind._

 _On another 'bright side', Kirei used up his last command seals in that suicide order, so while he was running dry, he was no longer tied to that loathsome man._

 _Illya was doing her best to maintain her strong facade, pale hair and unblemished skin polluted with Lancer's gushing blood as her tears cleared streaks down her cheeks. Lancer, voice now hoarse from the blood choking his windpipe, tried to address her._

" _Girl_ _…_ _make a contract with me, or we're all dead…"_

" _No!_ _My only servant's Berserker, and will only_ be _Berserker! He'll save us all, I believe in him! He's the strongest servant in the world!" Fool, her thickheadness was going to get them all killed!_

 _As a fellow warrior, Lancer could tell that Berserker wasn't getting out of this alive. Berserker knew it, but he had to make his last stand anyway, to go down fighting to make whatever legend he was based off of proud. Enkidu eventually ensnared and slowed Berserker down to arrest his movements. Illya, holding out faith nonetheless, had luminescent red tattoos lighting up her body as she exuded far more mana than what Lancer assumed a normal girl her age should possess._

" _Hercules! By my command seal, break out of those chains!" An explosion of raw mana shook the straining chains, Gilgamesh now looking a wee bit cautious about approaching the struggling and thrashing Heroic Spirit._

'Just what the hell are they feeding kids nowadays?'

 _And Hercules as Berserker, hm?_

 _Would've been one hell of a fight._

" _Mongrels, the lot of you. At least accept your deaths with some dignity." Walking towards Lancer and Illya while pulling a sword from the Gate of Babylon, Berserker's smoking, shaking form lost its vigor as it hung lifelessly by the binding chains despite being heavily empowered by Illya's command spell._

 _It could empower them to perform miracles, but there was a realistic limit as to what they could achieve with them._

 _Illya, watching Enkidu tighten and choke the life from a dying Hercules, lowered her head despondently. Her expression was painfully crushed beyond measure, looking to be on the edge of crying._

 _Dammit, why did he have the worst luck with females, now even powerless to protect a girl from crying over her impending death?_ _Going by his draining mana reserves, at best, he'd be able to fend off a few blows. Pushing his luck, he_ could _try to hurl Gae Bolg at Kirei simply out of spite._

" _It's been entertaining, mongrels, but let's end this charade. None of you had any chance of hurting me, that's for sure, but you proved… mildly entertaining to the very end."_

 _Lancer's body was unnaturally silent as his functioning heart was culled, but he looked up to find Illya's crushed expression reform into a determined one. One smoldering with rage yet appropriately terrified by the golden reaper standing before them, Lancer found himself empathizing with her desperation._

" _Lancer, heed my call. Will you serve and fight alongside me to the death?!" To which he seethed with a similar hatred for the priest,_

" _To the… death, and beyond… Until my Gae Bolg pierces Kotomine Kirei's heart and puts him down!"_

" _RRRARRRRRHHH!"_

 _An explosive wave of mana exploded from behind Gilgamesh and Kirei like a blast wave, Berserker breaking the divine chains for one last desperate attack._

 _Berserker, even as he faded away, cracked the concrete and shattered window panes in a mighty roar as Kirei used his Black Keys to distract him while his charcoal-black fist aimed for a distracted Gilgamesh. Buying them precious seconds, Gilgamesh and Kotomine cut down the dying Berserker before the King of Heroes turned back to the helpless duo._

 _All but a distraction._

 _Gilgamesh's sword crashed down onto a struggling Lancer's raised Gae Bolg, the fleeing Heroic Spirit tanking Kirei's flung Black Key stabbing into his flank._

" _Lancer, by my next command spell, survive and get us away from here!" A dam of mana coursed through Lancer's rejuvenated body like ten shots of adrenaline, reinvigorating him just so he could do the thing he hated most._

 _Running away._

 _Gritting his teeth and swallowing his pride, Lancer shot away, sprinting like a bat out of hell while cradling Illya in his perforated chest. Even as he deflected incoming Black Keys, Gilgamesh shouted at the two fleeing prey after taking down the greatest game._

" _Turning tail, mongrel?! Futile!_

 _However, draw this hunt out longer until your dying breath to entertain me, and I shall at least grant you a quick death!" A torrent of fired weapons embedded themselves in the earth, Lancer evading some of them by the skin of his teeth as his blue suit was shredded._

" _I will strike you two down like the ants you are with my Gate! There's nowhere on Earth you and that mongrel homunculus can hide!"_

" _Damn you, King of Heroes!_ Damn _you and that psychopathic priest all to hell!"_

 _L_ _ancer hissed at the stinging sensation of steel sliding into his flesh at a direct hit from Gilgamesh's Gate. But hearing Illya's panicked shrieks as she pressed her head to his chest, as well as the bitter taste of having a dying Berserker willingly sacrifice himself to protect them with his last breath…_

 _Illya was sobbing into his chest wound, Lancer enduring the pain as he imagined her emotional pain to be greater after losing her 'strongest servant', as evidenced by her hysterical,_

 _"Berserker_ _… how could you leave me_ _… like_ _… everyone else? How_ _… How_ _could you_ lose?"

 _This Holy Grail War was going tits-up, and Lancer was caught in the middle of this raging storm with one traumatized girl as his master, Gilgamesh out for his blood and Kirei aiming to carve Illya's heart out._ _Aztec-style, from how they described it…_

" _Arrgh, I just have the worst luck!"_


	14. Chapter 13 - The Return

**_Author's Notes_**

 _I'm baaaack~_

* * *

Lancer's tale left Team Mordred much to think about.

Despite the sob story, they were guiltily relieved at Gilgamesh taking the initiative to take out Berserker. It meant one less wildcard to worry about, but they'd clearly be the next targets of Gilgamesh's boredom-killing murder spree.

With everyone's allegiance to the 'let's-kill-Gilgamesh-together' cause nominally secured, a palpable tension filled the meeting room. Between Lancer and Archer, Sakura and Rin, Shirou and Illya, Saber and Rider, everyone had a score to settle, and they'd have to face each other down the line for the Grail.

Mordred didn't care.

What she cared about was getting everyone on the same page, standing in the room's midst to get everyone's attention.

"I've something to get off my chest, lads. I lied about why I was summoned as Ruler. The Holy Grail's corrupted."

This didn't immediately register in everyone's minds, receiving a mix of,

"What?"

"Excuse me?" and,

"That's impossible!" from her allies.

Mordred continued, "Archer can attest. That Devil's spitoon will destroy the world if anybody wishes upon it, nobody's going to win this rigged Grail War." Everyone turned to Archer, whose folded arms and stoic silence couldn't hide the pinch of consternation his expression betrayed.

"Archer, it can't be, right?" Rin's skepticism was understandable, holding onto a sliver of hope that the wishing device people killed and died for _wouldn't_ blow up in their faces.

A bedridden Lancer coughed before piping up.

"There's certainly something fishy about it. Kotomine said something about summoning Angra Mainyu, tearing out my little master's heart to do so." This had Illya doing a double-take, dumbly staring at Lancer's revelation of her supposed fate had Gilgamesh succeeded.

Sakura, though oblivious to the workings of the Grail War, empathetically shared in everybody's sorrow (also Shinji's death, probably). Rider was unsurprised, everyone else occupied with the implications of Mordred's revelation.

Mordred, no stranger to being screwed over by the Grail, looked at her crestfallen Father.

"Father? You were there, any idea on what happened in the last Grail War?"

The spotlight shifted onto Saber.

"As I fought Gilgamesh, Emiya Kiritsugu commanded me to destroy the Grail against my will. Gilgamesh talked about mud from the Fourth Holy Grail War granting him a human body. I initially wrote it off as his usual, inane rambling. But…"

Mordred spoke, "I read up a little the Fourth Holy Grail War. Didn't the Fuyuki City Fire coincide near its end? That's probably what'll happen again. Why else do you think I was summoned here?"

The table's contents jumped with a slamming fist.

"I can't accept this!" Everybody flinched at Rin's smoldering temper, nothing Mordred didn't expect as a mage hailing from a family obsessing over the Holy Grail across generations. As Illya, Shirou, Father and Sakura all descended into solemn moodiness, Mordred simply wanted to leave them be.

She'd sooner fight an army than stay to sort out the problems of hormonal kids.

"Food for thought," she said before leaving the silent room.

* * *

Mordred blinked, having fallen asleep to be transported into a void in her civilian clothes.

Was this some sort of dream?

Nothing but a colorless expanse as far as she could see, lacking even a horizon to give Mordred the impression of standing on solid ground. In this mental world, the only other item in existence was a fancy mirror standing before Mordred.

"Damn, if this is my mind, maybe I'll hold back next time someone calls me 'empty-headed'…

Nah, I think I'd just beat them up anyway."

Looking at the mirror, Mordred's reflection stared back while donning her battle armor.

And in the mirror's background was a hellish scene ripped from Mordred's past.

Blackish clouds floated amidst the crimson sky, the ground littered with corpses and wrecked steel, chipped swords jutting skywards like grave markers. A column of light pierced the heavens to cast its light upon Excalibur, the holy sword standing atop the massacre's aftermath. Rivulets of blood dribbled down the hill, fouling the air with a coppery odor even on Mordred's end.

Camlann.

Tensing up upon witnessing her resting ground, Mordred asked, "Who the bloody hell are you?"

Her reflection chuckled in response, and Mordred already wanted to deck her reflection for the smugness she carried herself with.

"Let's just say I'm the _real_ you. The real you who's buried beneath the mask of civility you wear in public, dumbass. I'm here to remind you of what really matters, killing Arthur.

Wasn't your entire existence devoted to killing him, razing everything he stood for after he spurned us?"

"I know. But," Mordred deflated, "at Camlann, my heart just felt empty before I died. Everything fell around us, people were senselessly dying left and right, Father was turning away from me. It just…

I don't know what the hell is it I want anymore, but…" Mordred's face fell into her palm, shivering upon recalling all the ordeals she'd survived.

"I don't fucking know, but I think…

I think I want to be more than who I was then, forever stuck in the shadow of Father's legacy. He created something for himself, but after tearing everything down, what've I created by myself, _for_ myself? Nothing!"

With this, her reflection grimaced and swung her hand out at the hellish background.

"Creation? Who gives a rat's ass?! Arthur betrayed us! Abandoned us! Killed us! Sowed the seeds for his own empire's downfall! What else is left except ridding ourselves of him?!"

Mordred was seething now, lifting her head to shove her finger at the mirror.

"If you're my subconscious or whatever, you'd know this.

It's. All. _Over!_ I kill Father, I kill my last connection to the past, the only person who ever mattered to me, for better or worse!"

"'for better or worse'?! Listen to yourself, you daft wench! Nothing else matters! We were never meant to be here. The Great Holy Grail War where we came from, we no longer exist there!

We're simply ghosts, Mordred. Arthur's all that mattered to us - "

"THIS ISN'T JUST ABOUT US ANYMORE!

God, it was never entirely about us!" Mordred's fists balled up so tight her knuckles cracked, gathering her thoughts before answering her reflection.

"I rebelled because Father didn't understand his people anymore. I was swayed by my hatred to destroy everything he stood for, if only to build something anew atop Britannia's ashes. Father's now learning to find peace with the mistakes he's made, I can't be so immature as to keep trying to settle a vendetta which'll never bring me peace."

Reflection!Mordred simply scoffed, "' _Peace'_. We both know neither of you will find closure unless we eliminate our source of emotional turmoil, and lift that."

Mordred's reflection pointed back at Excalibur, bloodied but unblemished. And despite the holy sword beckoning like a forbidden fruit begging to be plucked, Mordred's gaze hardened at the heavy cost.

She planted a fist on the mirror, asking, "What if I kill myself, hmm? What if I erase myself as this timeline should've been, one without my influence?" This had reflection!Mordred breaking out into guffaws, throwing her head back with hearty laughter at the asinine suggestion.

"Puh-lease. We both know despite your self-loathing for being 'Arthur's dirty homunculus offspring', you'd _never_ go out in such a cowardly way." Mirroring Mordred by placing a fist on the surface dividing them, Mordred was mentally taken aback at the malice in her own eyes, her reflection's voice lowering into a malicious whisper.

"You're denying me, Mordred. You're hurting _me,_ just as you hurt yourself. Letting Arthur live?" Mordred's reflection spat on the bloodstained ground, swinging out her hand to gesture at their magnum opus.

"It's what the Greater Grail wants. It's what _we_ want. Hell, it's what Arthur wants, someone else to rule in her place. Why deny everyone's wish?"

True.

It seemed everything around Mordred was egging her on to kill Father, and perhaps a part of Mordred wanted Father dead.

And yet…

"So what. So fucking what? Who the fuck are _you_ to tell me what I want?

I don't need anything or anybody to give my life meaning. It doesn't matter if you, Father, the World or God himself tells me who I should be. I've a nasty streak of disobedience and rebelliousness.

Besides, haven't you heard? Wish-granting has quite the habit of going awry, aren't I continuing the practice by screwing everyone's wishes over?" Pulling away from the mirror, Mordred couldn't contain the smirk stretching her cheeks out. Hell, perhaps her reflection's smugness was spot-on.

Didn't mean she didn't want to punch her doppelganger, especially when reflection!Mordred's expression contorted with disdain.

"Then enjoy what remains of your pathetic life with these 'friends', _Mordred,_ and wait for them to turn on each other. Just wait to die when Arthur wishes you out of existence." Wincing at her doppelganger reflecting hatred she no doubt possessed in her past, Mordred deflated at trying to be the better man.

This was… wrong, somehow.

Admiration of what Father had achieved, love for the people she ruled over, and a lifetime of worship was ruined by parasitic hatred for what Father had become, alien and emotionless.

There was no way it was all hatred inside her, was it?

Then an epiphany dawned upon Mordred.

"Hold on, why are you, my subconscious self, calling Father 'Arthur' instead of 'Father' like I almost always have?"

Reflection!Mordred blinked dumbly, using the same trite reasoning.

"Like I said, I'm your subconscious - "

"Yeah, yeah. But before betraying him, I've always respected Father and addressed him as such. Why aren't you?

Hell, if so, why haven't you addressed Father as 'King' even once?" Mordred remembered her painful last words being 'Father', almost always using it to address her King nowadays.

So why was her subconscious self, supposedly representing everything Mordred desired, insolently calling Father by his name alone?

"Are you really me?"

Mordred's doppelganger merely stared, her distant gaze belying the thoughts running through her mind in an attempt to answer Mordred, eventually deflating in resignation.

And reflection!Mordred started to giggle.

"Oh, you wound me, Mordred. You were brought up to ensure Arthur's fall from grace. As a homunculus, didn't it occur to you that your training began even before birth?"

A blur caught Mordred by the neck, registering it as reflection!Mordred choking her through the one-way mirror. As reflection!Mordred stepped into Mordred's world, her super-strength forced Mordred down on one knee, strangely unable to pry her doppelganger's hand off.

"You detest being treated like a woman, yes? Here, you're but a silly little girl who's forgotten her purpose, so you'll share a girl's strength as I remind you." Indignation flared up within Mordred's heart even as it sank from the realization, her doppelganger's gaze possessing a familiar slyness.

"Even in my womb, I made sure you'd come into this world possessing the potential to become the strongest knight. I ensured a shadow of my past self would live on inside you to watch Arthur die, my child, my weapon, my _property."_ Reflection!Mordred smiled at the dawning horror in Mordred's expression.

"No…"

"Yes.

My hold on you transcends time and space, Mordred, and you've forgotten your purpose. But don't you worry, dear…" Snapping awake from her dream, Mordred stared down at Shirou as he clutched his solar plexus, his crumpled body lying beneath Mordred's feet. Mordred's hand lifted on its own accord, the extra Command Spell given by Rider lighting up ominously.

Mordred was a prisoner inside her own body.

" … _mother Morgan is here."_


	15. Chapter 14 - Beginning of the End

**_Author's Notes_**

 _Hi, Woggie: Thank you for your review, although I respectfully disagree with '_ Even if his ideals are hypocritical, even if they are selfish, even if they lead to regret, saving people is not wrong!' _,_ 'Just because an ideal is impossible doesn't mean it is flawed!' _. We can agree to disagree on these two points if you're still continuing to read this fanfic._

 _I accept your criticism about pointless and unneeded philosophical arguments, when we want to read Mordred stabbing people. I'll endeavor to put less of them in, I did them in order to settle the elephant in the room that was the MC of F/SN and his development. I didn't want to completely ignore it when the original series revolved around him, and I'm sorry if my attempt to cover it in a chapter and interlude was unsatisfactory._

 _On a side note, my beta reader, understandably, has not been responding to my PM to proof-read my chapters (it's been awhile). I apologize for any continuity errors, please enlighten me in as you leave a review._

* * *

 _Dear Father,_

 _I've kidnapped Shirou and am currently holding him hostage. To ensure you come alone, I've activated a command spell for Rider to find and kill Archer. Come to the docks at 10 p.m., we'll settle who's most worthy of lifting Excalibur to become king once and for all._

Despite Rin's passionate tirade at being unable to foresee Mordred's betrayal, Saber objectively studied the letter. She couldn't shake off the memories of Britannia's downfall though, Mordred similarly being at the center of it all once again.

She finally arrived at a conclusion.

"I don't think Mordred wrote this."

"What?! Saber, this is clearly Mordred's doing! He was willing to hold Illya hostage, why else would Mordred treat Shirou any differently?" Rin's reasoning was reasonable, but Saber had her reservations.

"I've read enough of Mordred's reports as king to know Mordred doesn't write. She scrawls. If she genuinely wrote this, what surprises me isn't the betrayal but the penmanship, legibility and lack of spelling mistakes while in a rush."

Rin gave Saber a deadpan stare, but Archer was already considering possible suspects.

"Could it be Caster, a postmortem mind control technique I didn't encounter in my timeline?"

"It's possible, Archer, but I don't know. But this I do know: Mordred wants me. Always me.

My failings as a parent have caught up with me, and I will not turn my back on Mordred _ever again."_ Saber's determination was admirable if overwhelming, the King of Knights standing up to meet Archer's gaze.

"Try not to hurt Rider too badly, Archer. She'll be useful in fighting Gilgamesh."

"Worry about yourself. I'm not fighting my wildcard of a daughter." Saber grimaced, but she saw a flicker of Shirou's visage in Archer.

A spark of humane concern was reignited in Archer's eyes, reminding Saber of Shirou's initial concern of having a female knight fight for him. But now, Archer was seemingly worried about Saber being emotionally compromised during battle, a notion Saber would've bristled at under normal circumstances.

But having fought Lancelot in the Fourth Grail War, confronting Mordred had Saber worrying about how killing Mordred would affect her.

In the past, it took Saber's empire falling apart to break her.

With her chance to wish upon the Holy Grail snatched away, would killing Mordred break Saber again, leaving so little of her behind that all the king's horses and men couldn't put King Arthur together again?

* * *

Mordred walked towards Rider and Sakura in the alley, having used Rider's extra command spell to facilitate a meeting before Rider attacked Archer.

A sheepish Sakura stepped forth, the girl timidly seeking answers.

"Um, w-why'd you order Rider to kill Archer? Aren't we supposed to be working together?" Rider was looking at Mordred warily, ready to strike. No point being discreet when burning everything to the ground, two more of Mordred's Command Spells flaring up.

" _Do not attack me, Rider."_

Mordred's hand shot out and grabbed Sakura's forehead, ignoring her screams and Rider's betrayal-induced rage resisting Mordred's Command Spell. Morgan sifted through Sakura's memories, worming into her psyche to understand _everything._

Sakura's estranged sisterly relationship with Rin, being engulfed by Crest Worms daily, silently enduring Shinji's abuse, possessive love towards Shirou, enduring and even hiding her malice towards Saber and Rin for Shirou's sake…

Pulling her hand away to let Sakura hit the floor, Mordred exclaimed.

"Oh, you've got quite the dark side to you. In another time, I would've enjoyed breaking you into subservience. But I ask you this, girl.

" _Do you wish to be with Shirou?"_ Like the snake seductively whispering into Eve's ear, Mordred pulled Sakura's head up by a fistful of purple hair, leaning in to whisper in her ear.

"Arth - Saber and Rin stands between you and Shirou, and I'll take Saber out.

Can I count on you to take Archer out along with Rin?" Mordred released her hold to let Sakura curl up defensively, Rider protectively jumping between them with brandished chain daggers.

Sakura whimpered, "W-W-Why…?"

"Why? Do you know who I am? I'm all about patricide, and I now remember why I was sent into this timeline. But I can't be in two places at once.

Shirou means the world to you, right? So to protect your world, would you accept the sacrifice of a sister who never loved you?"

"I… I don't… want to kill anyone…" Sneering at Sakura's softness, Mordred looked down her nose at the servant-master duo.

"That's fine, if you conveniently choose to forget how close Rin and Shirou are getting." Sakura flinched, Mordred failing to suppress a grin as she stared Rider down.

"You're a smart girl, Sakura. We both know you're nothing but a wallflower who'll probably be baking Shirou's wedding cake once he gets engaged to Rin!

This is your chance to be the master of your own fate, to not be enslaved by your foster family, stuck in your aloof sister's shadow, isolated from society with nothing and nobody to live and fight for!"

Heavily suggesting fratricide was beyond Morgan's scope of objectives, but on some level, she empathized with Sakura's predicament.

A brilliant sister who drew people into her orbit, threatening what little she held dear.

Dredging up Sakura's repressed hatred towards her biological family, Morgan exploited Sakura's ignorance of her true nature and indifference towards the Holy Grail War, urging her to prioritize grudges over the 'greater good' of the world.

Not that Morgan cared. She was a spectre possessing her own daughter, Mordred herself would also disappear once the Grail War ended.

Rider tried to keep everyone's mind on the big picture.

"Stop it! There's no benefit to infighting, the objective is to stop Gilgamesh together."

And Mordred scoffed, "Really, Rider? Exiled, feared, hunted and ultimately killed as the world celebrated your death, you really wish to let Sakura pass up her opportunity for revenge?"

"You're not yourself, Ruler. Who're you?"

"All you need to know, _Medusa,_ is that you have a target to eliminate." Rider and Sakura watched Mordred leave the area, left alone with little answers and an inexplicably broken alliance. Watching Mordred's back disappear into the night, Rider turned to face Sakura.

"I'll hold back as best I can in fighting Archer. What'll you do, Sakura?"

"I… I don't know anymore."

Unbeknownst to Sakura or Rider, Morgan's defilement of Sakura's psyche left a magical handprint on mental barricades keeping monstrous thoughts at bay.

A small crack began to spread inside Sakura's psyche.


	16. Chapter 15 - Le Morte d'Arthur

**Author's Notes**

 _After working on my main project, grinding on FGO and_ _ _faffing about on_ its subreddit, I finally got around to writing down this chapter. No promises, but I'll try to deliver the next chapter earlier_ _. If I made a mistake lore-wise or character-wise in this chapter, do leave feedback so I may improve upon it._

* * *

Sitting in an abandoned factory, Mordred watched over a bruised Shirou who had his hands tied behind him, black and blue from Archer's beatdown and Mordred's blow. The tenacious boy was pouting at Mordred's apparent betrayal, simmering in the the helplessness of his situation. Even without mind-reading, Morgan read his regrets about ever trusting Mordred like an open book, hating his own weakness and inability to avert the inevitable showdown.

Jeanne's voice grated on Morgan's psyche.

' _ **This is as good a time as any to ask, Morgan, but why? Why possess Mordred and continue your vengeful quest, even now?'**_

Morgan conspiratorially whispered, making sure Shirou couldn't overhear.

"Why? Simple.

My children have all betrayed me. Agravain. Gawain. Gareth. Gaheris. Even Mordred. This world has spurned me, enshrining him as an ideal king even after Britannia's downfall. Nobody, not even my children, understand what it's like living in Arthur's shadow.

Imagine it! Being a royal firstborn, yet seeing the world bend over backwards in Arthur's favor. Attracting the adoration of our parents, friends and even my children, Arthur gets Excalibur to craft an empire whose legacy lives on."

' _ **So it's all because of spite, Morgan? You can't stand a world with Arthur above you?'**_

"I can't stand a world _with_ Arthur! Everyone gravitates towards him, it's in my interests to grant Arthur his wish, erasing his existence along with Britannia, consequences be damned."

' _ **So Mordred's been your secret weapon, fine-tuned for revenge since birth?'**_

And though a hint of maternal pride seeped into the miniscule curl of Mordred's lips, empty pupils stared ahead at nothing as she cracked the knuckles of her balled fist, dripping with venom at the mention of her blood sibling.

"She's grown so much, but Mordred's now lost sight of what made her a legend." Mordred's voice fell, her fist uncoiling to reveal bloody crescents etched into her palm.

"In my final moments, I was… happy to know Mordred shared my hatred. She'd finish the job, I made sure of it. But to think Arthur would continue to fight for an infantile wish is laughable, but the Grail's machinations coincide with my goal, the death of Arthur.

What my brother has sown, he shall reap."

' _ **You believe Arthur made you evil? Wrong! To conceive of weaponizing your offspring, enchanting Arthur into committing incest and turning to the dark arts, such a mind poisoned by envy is beyond saving!**_

 _ **Even with all the hatred you poured into Mordred's mind since young, she's outgrown you. You're alone in your hatred, Morgan, may God have mercy on your soul!'**_

Mordred's expression contorted in a rictus of simmering fury, seething through clenched teeth.

"Do not test me, farm girl, for I can do this…"

" _ **AAHHHHH!"**_

" … wherever you are. With the short leash I have on you and Mordred, I make the pain feel _very_ real for you."

"Openly narrating your thoughts to yourself doesn't exactly keep your identity safe or convince anyone of your mental health."

" … _Father."_

That one word confirmed Saber's suspicions.

Mordred's usual address in this Holy Grail War contained fizzling rebelliousness, grudging respect and even world-weary sentimentality, hidden behind a veil of gruffness. This 'Mordred' was a blast from the past with her unbridled malice, sneering contempt and coiled muscles, ready to kill.

How could Mordred be so different?

"Whoever you are, I don't believe you're Mordred. At least not the one in this time. Make it easier for us both and identify yourself." Shirou was energized by Saber's presence, worming around on the ground as he attempting to kick and push himself upright

"Saber!" He was silenced by Mordred's kick to his side, hacking and coughing as he curled into a spasming fetal position, Mordred looking down at the King of Knights.

"Then let's not stand on ceremony, _brother._ Look upon your executioner, the fruit of our labors, and die seeing our child stay true to his kingslaying legend." Mordred's armor materialized in a shower of red lighting, Clarent's blood-red flames ominously painting its blade.

Saber's stoic mask remained unperturbed, though Mordred could see how revealing the Grail's tainted nature ripped something from Saber's heart, along with it the hope of a better end for Britannia, the one light at the end of this dark and violent tunnel. The cross she'd been bearing were now anchors threatening to pull Saber into a quicksand of despair, held at bay by Saber's resolute soul and her ties to the present.

And Mordred's gaze fell onto Emiya Shirou.

"I thought Mordred's magnum opus was breaking you through Britannia's downfall. But let's see how your heart shatters with this."

And plunged Clarent into Shirou's gut.

Shirou's face contorted in a voiceless cry as his eyes dimmed, deflating as blood pooled beneath his shirt's growing red stain. Saber's eyes widened in shared agony, tensing up for combat as the dissipating Invisible Air revealed Excalibur's blade, and Saber's scowl stretched into a thin slash across her darkening expression.

" _MORGAN!"_

"Finally, you make an expression I like. To watch you break from anger and grief, though I am but a specter, what comes next will make me feel more alive than ever, _Arthur."_


	17. Chapter 16 - Le Morte d'Arthur 2

_**Author's Notes**_

 _I told you this was going to be a little earlier, yes?_ _As usual, if there are any discrepancies lore-wise or characterization-wise, please let me know. I'm writing based off what I know about them, but the image I have of them may not be wholy accurate.  
_

 _Woggie: I'd say I'm a pessimist with some nihilistic qualities. And after some pondering over the 'impossible ideal is flawed' quote, I've possibly come to a different conclusion, so apologies if this contradicts my past statements._

 _I say impossibilities are in themselves_ _ _flaws, but what constitutes impossibility?_ I _n__ _ _ _ _the ideals, or in__ ourselves for failing to reach them? I say both. The unreachable light of ideals can at least guide us like the night stars, but the ugliness and savagery beneath the skin drives us more than the distant light could ever guide. __

__Everyone thinks we should give up on ideals because they are impossible, I respectfully disagree. I believe we should give up on ourselves and our potential.  
__

* * *

Clarent flared up in Mordred's reverse grip, flung like a javelin as windows blew out from the shockwave. Parrying the hurled sword, Clarent's glowing blade erupted in a fireball which nearly consumed Saber, a split-second mana burst fired from Excalibur's edge to redirect the explosion.

Just as Mordred closed in with a hook, Saber's singed face eating steel knuckles even as she rolled with the impact. Excalibur met the retrieved Clarent, Mordred leaning in to shove Saber off-stance as she snarled.

"I must thank you, _Arthur._ It was obvious you'd spurn our wretched child, and I filled Mordred's mind with such beautiful lies, your silence would only crush her soul! Die knowing you caused our son's fall from grace and Britannia's downfall. You're fighting for a cause you believe less and less in, the only thing keeping you going as a dead man walking.

I'm doing the humane thing by putting you out of your misery."

Treacherous despair drew Saber's eyes towards Shirou, who nearly drowned in his blood as his lungs gave a pathetic wheeze. The soul-crushing sight, instead of breaking Saber, filled Saber's aching muscles with a second wind, freezing over her gaze in defiance of Morgan's torments.

"It's not humane, Morgan. It's what you want. And there's still someone left, even now." Staring through Morgan's widening pupils, Saber imagined her son kicking and screaming inside his own head, resisting Morgan's control.

"Mordred, both as a Knight of the Round Table," Saber paused in mild disbelief at her next words, "and my son." Mordred's scowl was downright _ugly_ as she pulled Clarent's handle like a ripcord, Saber spinning away from a point-blank Clarent Blood Arthur.

Meanwhile, Jeanne spoke into Mordred's trapped mind in a conspiratorial tone, almost afraid to tip Morgan off about their ploy.

 _ **'Mordred? Morgan is occupied with fighting Arthur, and we must help.'**_

Clarent pierced the ground to unleash a crimson wave around her, washing over Saber in a tidal wave as Mordred lunged towards her with armored fists. Mordred's barrage was relentless and aggressive with little heed for defense, her fists demolishing everything in a shower of splinters and shrapnel.

 _ **'Imagine a mental hammer and nail, breaking down psyches for information. With your body, Morgan has a mind gun piercing mental defenses like paper. I don't know what'll happen when we turn it on Morgan, but it should give Saber an advantage!'**_

Empowered swords split the earth with every blow, cracking steel at the edge of hearing. Saber distanced herself, but Mordred collapsed holding her own skull, her expression warped by hatred, agony and disgust.

"ARRGGGHHHH! You wenches… get out of my head!" A confused Saber closed in, Excalibur's pommel crashing against Mordred's temple.

And reeled as memories flooded Saber's mind, a torrent of familiar landscapes seen through an alien perspective. Clutching her own searing skull, Saber clumsily wailed on Mordred, Excalibur cutting through a visage of Saber upon her horse. Gawain and Agravain's specters filled her mind, their young faces untouched by the stress of knighthood.

Were these Mordred's memories?

Mordred yanked Saber's hair and repeatedly pulled her face into a fist, though Saber caught her next blow and threw Mordred to the ground in a hold, the crunch of her dislocated elbow eliciting a pained howl. Scrambling away while calling Excalibur to hand, the Round Table's voices echoed until only their tones distinguished them, their words a deafening drone threatening to split Saber's skull. Mordred seethed as she snapped her arm back into place, slamming her forehead into the concrete.

"GNNNARRGGHHH! Stop it!" Saber threw herself onto the floor as Mordred's hidden Clarent fired another wave of mana, Mordred stumbling over to punt her cracking ribs.

This wasn't a knightly duel anymore. Just like long ago, everything they'd built had crumbled around them. Even though there was nothing left to fight for, their swords were drawn to each other out of mutual disdain, rejection of everything the other stood for, and simply because they had nothing left to lose.

 _"MORGAN!"_

 _"ARTHUR!"_

Every clash of their swords brought about another flash of Mordred's life, Saber gazing upon the carnage of Camlann through Mordred's eyes. Her gloved hand weakly reached for a back, Saber recognizing it as her own.

"Father…" With another parry, memories of the modern age flooded Saber's confused mind, countless conversations slipped through the cracks of Saber's mind to paint a wretched war of legends.

A Greater Grail War.

A thuggish voice, imparting wisdom.

"There are things one must not forget"

Mordred, sounding shockingly mature.

"Father didn't wish for gems that shined like the stars"

"He became king for the sake of those stones in the roadside"

Saber hacked away with Excalibur, all while the Greater Grail spoke in her mind.

KILL ARTORIA PENDRAGON, AND CALIBURN SHALL SPAWN WHERE HE FELL

It painted the picture of a wish gone wrong, Saber crumpling from the sensory overload as Mordred's experiences weighed on her mind. Mentally reliving four Grail Wars and the fall of Britannia twice eroded Saber's psyche, dropping her assault to let Mordred give her a parting swing, both knights catching their breath.

A heaving Mordred propped herself up with Clarent, firing up a weakened Noble Phantasm.

"Let's finish this, _sister."_ And though Saber raised Excalibur, the impossible wish of erasing her own reign gave way to a more practical wish. Morgan and the Greater Grail, ghosts of Mordred's past, would never release its deathgrip on her soul, and would never stop until Saber was dead.

So perhaps that was what Saber must do.

The last sacrifice, for Britannia's last surviving citizen.

As they charged each other, Excalibur dematerialized as Saber embraced Mordred, seething from Clarent lodging itself in her gut. Its blade burned with a paternal hatred which eroded at Mordred's identity to become her _raison d'etre_ , fulfilling a warped purpose which robbed the sword of its true potential.

How very… Mordred.

It was only by the Greater Grail's grace were they brought together, a fluke of a timeline that should never have been. With her death, Saber hoped to exorcise Morgan from Mordred's mind, similarly freeing her from the Greater Grail's accursed machinations. To free Mordred of the last link to her past, giving her a new lease on life. Morgan's twisted glee was replaced by Mordred's devastation as Saber hit the ground. Her extremities went numb as Mordred scrambled to her side, concern furrowing her son's expression.

"Father, we can… we can…" Saber feebly reached for Mordred, her own vitals dropping with a finality which put Saber at ease.

"No, I want this…" Saber prefered this to the glimmer of hope in survival, straining her neck to glance over at Shirou. His wounds had closed, Saber's eyes widening as a brightness flowed from within his wounds. It awakened a dormant memory of utopia, an unreachable moon so beautiful in its resplendence, Saber created Britannia as its imperfect reflection in a lake.

"Avalon…"

Mordred was visibly at the end of her rope, and though her eyes lit up at Avalon's glow, it was extinguished by Saber's dissipating armor as proof she had only seconds, at best. A thousand regrets, questions, and sentiments clouded Mordred's expression, her breath quivering as she clasped Saber's limp hand.

"I'm so sorry, Father… for everything."

"I… know…"

Father, what do I do? What _can_ I do?" After all Mordred had been through, all the wars, loss, battles and encounters which shaped Mordred into someone beyond the spurned son in her legend, Saber felt a bit more reassured in leaving it all to Mordred.

"Lift Excalibur… and live. It's all I have left… to give…" and faded away.

Mordred blinked, grasping the dissipating golden dust in a near-delusional hope Father simply turned invisible. With every empty grasp, Mordred's lungs struggled to draw breath, her fists curling from the myriad of feelings overwhelming her.

Regret. Anger. Self-loathing. Despair. Fear.

But what hurt most was the emptiness in Mordred's heart as she howled at the heavens, at the forces that be which destroyed the flimsiest of reconciliations between them. At Morgan, who played her like a fiddle to be Britannia's destroyer, smearing her relationship with Father even from her grave.

But mostly at herself, who, despite all her strength and growth, couldn't defy them. Like a kid, she needed Father to sort her mess, and she bought Mordred's ticket to freedom with blood.

Punching the rubble with raw knuckles, Mordred pounded her chest in impotent rage as her hoarse voice went silent, weakly blinking away the tears watering her vision. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Mordred gaze fell upon Excalibur, a makeshift tombstone marking where Saber fell as the Greater Grail boomed in Mordred's mind.

MISSION COMPLETE.

Suddenly, she never hated the damn sword so much in her life.


End file.
